mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

From Denoising to Decision Making: A Survey on Diffusion Model-Enabled Deep Reinforcement Learning for Wireless Networks

arXiv 2605.25531 ↗First posted 25 May 2026eess.SPcited by 0

On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion for compression and wireless

Abstract (arXiv)

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has long been a promising solution for sequential resource management in wireless networks. However, conventional DRL methods are fundamentally limited by their reliance on unimodal policy distributions, inefficient exploration in high-dimensional action spaces, and poor adaptability to dynamic and heterogeneous environments. Meanwhile, diffusion models (DMs) as one of the most powerful families of generative AI have demonstrted remarkable capabilities in modeling complex, multi-modal data distributions across diverse domains. The integration of DMs and DRL has opened a new and rapidly growing research direction, in which DM-enabled policies substantially enhance decision quality by capturing the complex, discontinuous, and multimodal action structures inherent in wireless resource management. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of DM-enabled DRL algorithms and their applications for various issues in wireless networks. Particularly, we first provide the theoretical background of DM and present different DM-enabled DRL algorithms. We then systematically review applications of DM-enabled DRL for across computation offloading in mobile edge computing, UAV-assisted, vehicular, and AIGC-driven systems, as well as wireless resource allocation, physical-layer security, and robotics and UAV planning. We conclude the paper by higlight future research directions.

Key facts. No citing papers in the map yet (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion for compression and wireless, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 54 of its 103 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 25 May 2026.

Builds on

54 of 103 references.

Closest ancestors · 8

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2026Diffusion Model-based Reinforcement Learning for Version Age of Information Scheduling: Average and Tail-Risk-Sensitive Control26 Jan
  2. 2025Multi-Agent Conditional Diffusion Model with Mean Field Communication as Wireless Resource Allocation Planner27 Oct
  3. 2025Diffusion Models for Future Networks and Communications: A Comprehensive Survey3 Aug
  4. 2025Generative Diffusion Models for Wireless Networks: Fundamental, Architecture, and State-of-the-Art22 Jul
  5. 2025Improve the Training Efficiency of DRL for Wireless Communication Resource Allocation: The Role of Generative Diffusion Models11 Feb
  6. 2024Diffusion Model Based Resource Allocation Strategy in Ultra-Reliable Wireless Networked Control Systems22 Jul
  7. 2023Diffusion Models for Wireless Communications11 Oct
  8. 2023Enhancing Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Tutorial on Generative Diffusion Models in Network Optimization10 Aug

Other references · 46

  1. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  2. 2017Proximal Policy Optimization Algorithmscited by 14,441
  3. 2020Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equationscited by 8,964
  4. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,005
  5. 2022Classifier-Free Diffusion Guidancecited by 5,717
  6. 2018Soft Actor-Critic: Off-Policy Maximum Entropy Deep Reinforcement Learning with a Stochastic Actorcited by 4,635
  7. 2015Continuous control with deep reinforcement learningcited by 3,279
  8. 2013Playing Atari with Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 3,211
  9. 2018Addressing Function Approximation Error in Actor-Critic Methodscited by 2,302
  10. 2017Multi-Agent Actor-Critic for Mixed Cooperative-Competitive Environmentscited by 1,519
  11. 2022Planning with Diffusion for Flexible Behavior Synthesiscited by 1,023
  12. 2022Diffusion Models in Vision: A Surveycited by 1,008
34 more
  1. 2022Diffusion Policies as an Expressive Policy Class for Offline Reinforcement Learningcited by 543
  2. 2020Monotonic Value Function Factorisation for Deep Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learningcited by 475
  3. 2023Q-Diffusion: Quantizing Diffusion Modelscited by 266
  4. 2022Post-training Quantization on Diffusion Modelscited by 262
  5. 2023PTQD: Accurate Post-Training Quantization for Diffusion Modelscited by 167
  6. 2018Applications of Deep Reinforcement Learning in Communications and Networking: A Surveycited by 163
  7. 2016Continuous Deep Q-Learning with Model-based Accelerationcited by 149
  8. 2023Diffusion Model is an Effective Planner and Data Synthesizer for Multi-Task Reinforcement Learningcited by 114
  9. 2022DALL-E-Bot: Introducing Web-Scale Diffusion Models to Roboticscited by 105
  10. 2023Diffusion Models for Reinforcement Learning: A Surveycited by 84
  11. 2023Temporal Dynamic Quantization for Diffusion Modelscited by 81
  12. 2024Diffusion Actor-Critic with Entropy Regulatorcited by 81
  13. 2024DiffuserLite: Towards Real-time Diffusion Planningcited by 40
  14. 2025Diffusion Models for Robotic Manipulation: A Surveycited by 39
  15. 2023Crossway Diffusion: Improving Diffusion-based Visuomotor Policy via Self-supervised Learningcited by 37
  16. 2023Diffusion-based Reinforcement Learning for Edge-enabled AI-Generated Content Servicescited by 33
  17. 2024DNN Partitioning, Task Offloading, and Resource Allocation in Dynamic Vehicular Networks: A Lyapunov-Guided Diffusion-Based Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 17
  18. 2023A Survey of Diffusion Models in Natural Language Processingcited by 16
  19. 2024Multi-objective Aerial Collaborative Secure Communication Optimization via Generative Diffusion Model-enabled Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 15
  20. 2024Hybrid-Generative Diffusion Models for Attack-Oriented Twin Migration in Vehicular Metaversescited by 7
  21. 2025Diffusion Models for Smarter UAVs: Decision-Making and Modelingcited by 7
  22. 2023AI-Generated Network Design: A Diffusion Model-based Learning Approachcited by 6
  23. 2024DNN Task Assignment in UAV Networks: A Generative AI Enhanced Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 5
  24. 2025A Survey on DRL based UAV Communications and Networking: DRL Fundamentals, Applications and Implementationscited by 4
  25. 2022A Survey of Mobile Edge Computing for the Metaverse: Architectures, Applications, and Challengescited by 3
  26. 2024Non-orthogonal Age-Optimal Information Dissemination in Vehicular Networks: A Meta Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning Approachcited by 3
  27. 2025Task Assignment and Exploration Optimization for Low Altitude UAV Rescue via Generative AI Enhanced Multi-agent Reinforcement Learningcited by 3
  28. 2024An Integrated Communication and Computing Scheme for Wi-Fi Networks based on Generative AI and Reinforcement Learningcited by 2
  29. 2024Towards Multi-Task Generative-AI Edge Services with an Attention-based Diffusion DRL Approachcited by 2
  30. 2024Diffusion-based Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic UAV-assisted Vehicle Twins Migration in Vehicular Metaversescited by 2
  31. 2025DRESS: Diffusion Reasoning-based Reward Shaping Scheme For Intelligent Networkscited by 2
  32. 2025Energy-Efficient RSMA-enabled Low-altitude MEC Optimization Via Generative AI-enhanced Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 2
  33. 2026NetWorld: Communication-Based Diffusion World Model for Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning in Wireless Networkscited by 2
  34. 2025A Lyapunov-Guided Diffusion-Based Reinforcement Learning Approach for UAV-Assisted Vehicular Networks with Delayed CSI Feedbackcited by 1

Built on by

Not cited yet.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2024DRL Optimization Trajectory Generation via Wireless Network Intent-Guided Diffusion Models for Optimizing Resource Allocation
  2. 2024Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) for Mobile Communications: A Diffusion Model Perspective
  3. 2026Diffusion Offline Reinforcement Learning for Fair and Energy-Efficient UAV-Assisted Wireless Networks
  4. 2026Large Language Model (LLM)-enabled Reinforcement Learning for Wireless Network Optimization
  5. 2024Large Vision Model-Enhanced Digital Twin with Deep Reinforcement Learning for User Association and Load Balancing in Dynamic Wireless Networks
  6. 2023Deep Generative Model and Its Applications in Efficient Wireless Network Management: A Tutorial and Case Study
  7. 2025Diffusion Models for Reinforcement Learning: Foundations, Taxonomy, and Development
  8. 2025ReaCritic: Reasoning Transformer-based DRL Critic-model Scaling For Wireless Networks