# Agent-Kernel: A MicroKernel Multi-Agent System Framework for Adaptive Social Simulation Powered by LLMs

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.01610 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.01610/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Social simulation and multi-agent debate, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 11 of its 25 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 1 Dec 2025.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [Social simulation and multi-agent debate](https://mlsanity.com/agents/social-simulation-and-multi-agent-debate/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 11 of 11)

- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [AutoGen: Enabling Next-Gen LLM Applications via Multi-Agent Conversation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.08155/) (2023)
- [MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.00352/) (2023)
- [AgentVerse: Facilitating Multi-Agent Collaboration and Exploring Emergent Behaviors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.10848/) (2023)
- [TradingAgents: Multi-Agents LLM Financial Trading Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.20138/) (2024)
- [AgentSociety: Large-Scale Simulation of LLM-Driven Generative Agents Advances Understanding of Human Behaviors and Society](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.08691/) (2025)
- [ROMA: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Emergent Roles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.08039/) (2020)
- [Generative agent-based modeling with actions grounded in physical, social, or digital space using Concordia](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.03664/) (2023)
- [AgentScope: A Flexible yet Robust Multi-Agent Platform](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.14034/) (2024)
- [LLM Social Simulations Are a Promising Research Method](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.02234/) (2025)
- [MindSearch: Mimicking Human Minds Elicits Deep AI Searcher](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.20183/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [World Craft: Agentic Framework to Create Visualizable Worlds via Text](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.09150/) (2026)
- [OpenHospital: A Thing-in-itself Arena for Evolving and Benchmarking LLM-based Collective Intelligence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.14771/) (2026)
- [CAMO: An Agentic Framework for Automated Causal Discovery from Micro Behaviors to Macro Emergence in LLM Agent Simulations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.14691/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Multi-Agent System (MAS) developing frameworks serve as the foundational infrastructure for social simulations powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). However, existing frameworks fail to adequately support large-scale simulation development due to inherent limitations in adaptability, configurability, reliability, and code reusability. For example, they cannot simulate a society where the agent population and profiles change over time. To fill this gap, we propose Agent-Kernel, a framework built upon a novel society-centric modular microkernel architecture. It decouples core system functions from simulation logic and separates cognitive processes from physical environments and action execution. Consequently, Agent-Kernel achieves superior adaptability, configurability, reliability, and reusability. We validate the framework's superiority through two distinct applications: a simulation of the Universe 25 (Mouse Utopia) experiment, which demonstrates the handling of rapid population dynamics from birth to death; and a large-scale simulation of the Zhejiang University Campus Life, successfully coordinating 10,000 heterogeneous agents, including students and faculty.