mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

AutoAgent: Evolving Cognition and Elastic Memory Orchestration for Adaptive Agents

arXiv 2603.09716 ↗First posted 10 Mar 2026cs.AIcited by 5

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Agent memory systems

Abstract (arXiv)

Autonomous agent frameworks still struggle to reconcile long-term experiential learning with real-time, context-sensitive decision-making. In practice, this gap appears as static cognition, rigid workflow dependence, and inefficient context usage, which jointly limit adaptability in open-ended and non-stationary environments. To address these limitations, we present AutoAgent, a self-evolving multi-agent framework built on three tightly coupled components: evolving cognition, on-the-fly contextual decision-making, and elastic memory orchestration. At the core of AutoAgent, each agent maintains structured prompt-level cognition over tools, self-capabilities, peer expertise, and task knowledge. During execution, this cognition is combined with live task context to select actions from a unified space that includes tool calls, LLM-based generation, and inter-agent requests. To support efficient long-horizon reasoning, an Elastic Memory Orchestrator dynamically organizes interaction history by preserving raw records, compressing redundant trajectories, and constructing reusable episodic abstractions, thereby reducing token overhead while retaining decision-critical evidence. These components are integrated through a closed-loop cognitive evolution process that aligns intended actions with observed outcomes to continuously update cognition and expand reusable skills, without external retraining. Empirical results across retrieval-augmented reasoning, tool-augmented agent benchmarks, and embodied task environments show that AutoAgent consistently improves task success, tool-use efficiency, and collaborative robustness over static and memory-augmented baselines. Overall, AutoAgent provides a unified and practical foundation for adaptive autonomous agents that must learn from experience while making reliable context-aware decisions in dynamic environments.

Key facts. Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Agent memory systems, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 15 of its 19 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 10 Mar 2026.

Builds on

15 of 19 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2025MemInsight: Autonomous Memory Augmentation for LLM Agents27 Mar

Other references · 14

  1. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,355
  2. 2023Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Toolscited by 4,072
  3. 2023Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learningcited by 4,064
  4. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behaviorcited by 3,500
  5. 2023Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Modelscited by 3,155
  6. 2023Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Modelscited by 2,081
  7. 2023AutoGen: Enabling Next-Gen LLM Applications via Multi-Agent Conversationcited by 1,906
  8. 2023MemGPT: Towards LLMs as Operating Systemscited by 1,295
  9. 2022MRKL Systems: A modular, neuro-symbolic architecture that combines large language models, external knowledge sources and discrete reasoningcited by 153
  10. 2025ToolHop: A Query-Driven Benchmark for Evaluating Large Language Models in Multi-Hop Tool Usecited by 48
  11. 2025EvolveSearch: An Iterative Self-Evolving Search Agentcited by 42
  12. 2025Adaptive Tool Use in Large Language Models with Meta-Cognition Triggercited by 29
2 more
  1. 2025AnyMAC: Cascading Flexible Multi-Agent Collaboration via Next-Agent Predictioncited by 25
  2. 2024Equipping Language Models with Tool Use Capability for Tabular Data Analysis in Financecited by 14

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 5.

5 papers.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2026A Survey of Agent Memory in the Second Half: Towards Self-Evolving and Long-Horizon Agents
  2. 2025Intrinsic Memory Agents: Heterogeneous Multi-Agent LLM Systems through Structured Contextual Memory
  3. 2025Remember Me, Refine Me: A Dynamic Procedural Memory Framework for Experience-Driven Agent Evolution
  4. 2025MemEvolve: Meta-Evolution of Agent Memory Systems
  5. 2025MemGen: Weaving Generative Latent Memory for Self-Evolving Agents
  6. 2026GenericAgent: A Token-Efficient Self-Evolving LLM Agent via Contextual Information Density Maximization (V1.0)
  7. 2026Unified Context Evolution for LLM Agents
  8. 2026SAM: State-Adaptive Memory for Long-Horizon Reasoning Agent