# Progressive Ideation using an Agentic AI Framework for Human-AI Co-Creation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00475 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.00475/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 5 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 1 Jan 2026.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [The Effects of Generative AI on Design Fixation and Divergent Thinking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.11164/) (2024)
- [PersonaFlow: Designing LLM-Simulated Expert Perspectives for Enhanced Research Ideation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.12538/) (2024)
- [A Novel Idea Generation Tool using a Structured Conversational AI (CAI) System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.05747/) (2024)
- [The role of large language models in UI/UX design: A systematic literature review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.04469/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The generation of truly novel and diverse ideas is important for contemporary engineering design, yet it remains a significant cognitive challenge for novice designers. Current 'single-spurt' AI systems exacerbate this challenge by producing a high volume of semantically clustered ideas. We propose MIDAS (Meta-cognitive Ideation through Distributed Agentic AI System), a novel framework that replaces the single-AI paradigm with a distributed 'team' of specialized AI agents designed to emulate the human meta-cognitive ideation workflow. This agentic system progressively refines ideas and assesses each one for both global novelty (against existing solutions) and local novelty (against previously generated ideas). MIDAS, therefore, demonstrates a viable and progressive paradigm for true human-AI co-creation, elevating the human designer from a passive filterer to a participatory, active, collaborative partner.