mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Research on World Models Is Not Merely Injecting World Knowledge into Specific Tasks

arXiv 2602.01630 ↗First posted 2 Feb 2026cs.CVcited by 3

On the map: World models → World models for language agents

Abstract (arXiv)

World models have emerged as a critical frontier in AI research, aiming to enhance large models by infusing them with physical dynamics and world knowledge. The core objective is to enable agents to understand, predict, and interact with complex environments. However, current research landscape remains fragmented, with approaches predominantly focused on injecting world knowledge into isolated tasks, such as visual prediction, 3D estimation, or symbol grounding, rather than establishing a unified definition or framework. While these task-specific integrations yield performance gains, they often lack the systematic coherence required for holistic world understanding. In this paper, we analyze the limitations of such fragmented approaches and propose a unified design specification for world models. We suggest that a robust world model should not be a loose collection of capabilities but a normative framework that integrally incorporates interaction, perception, symbolic reasoning, and spatial representation. This work aims to provide a structured perspective to guide future research toward more general, robust, and principled models of the world.

Key facts. Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in World models for language agents, one of 11 directions in World models. Builds on 91 of its 100 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 2 Feb 2026.

Builds on

91 of 100 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2025Cosmos World Foundation Model Platform for Physical AI7 Jan
  2. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior7 Apr

Other references · 89

  1. 2023GPT-4 Technical Reportcited by 18,132
  2. 2025Qwen3 Technical Reportcited by 8,195
  3. 20233D Gaussian Splatting for Real-Time Radiance Field Renderingcited by 6,141
  4. 2022Scalable Diffusion Models with Transformerscited by 5,931
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38 more
  1. 2025Wan: Open and Advanced Large-Scale Video Generative Modelscited by 2,536
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  4. 2018World Modelscited by 1,444
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  6. 2017AI2-THOR: An Interactive 3D Environment for Visual AIcited by 850
  7. 2024Structured 3D Latents for Scalable and Versatile 3D Generationcited by 742
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  15. 2021MetaDrive: Composing Diverse Driving Scenarios for Generalizable Reinforcement Learningcited by 281
  16. 2024Navigation World Modelscited by 262
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  26. 2025WorldPlay: Towards Long-Term Geometric Consistency for Real-Time Interactive World Modelingcited by 152
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50 most cited of 89 All 89 (JSON)

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 3.

3 papers.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Beyond World Models: Rethinking Understanding in AI Models
  2. 2025World-in-World: World Models in a Closed-Loop World
  3. 2026A Tutorial on World Models and Physical AI
  4. 2026From Perception to Action: Spatial AI Agents and World Models
  5. 2026From Generative Engines to Actionable Simulators: The Imperative of Physical Grounding in World Models
  6. 2025From 2D to 3D Cognition: A Brief Survey of General World Models
  7. 2025A Comprehensive Survey on World Models for Embodied AI
  8. 2026World Models: A Comprehensive Survey of Architectures, Methodologies, Reasoning Paradigms, and Applications