LLM-ALSO: LLM-Driven Adaptive Learning-Signal Optimization for Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Wu, Xiaoguang, Zheng, Zhi, Xiong, Hui
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Wu, Xiaoguang
Zheng, Zhi
Xiong, Hui
author_facet Wu, Xiaoguang
Zheng, Zhi
Xiong, Hui
contents Effective training-time guidance is central to multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), yet remains difficult in sparse-reward settings where weak supervision limits coordination and policy improvement, and existing methods often require substantial domain expertise or manual design effort. Large language models (LLMs) provide a promising alternative for flexible learning-signal design, yet existing LLM-based methods remain largely single-agent-oriented, one-shot, or weakly validated for the evolving training dynamics of cooperative MARL. To address these limitations, we propose LLM-ALSO, an iterative LLM-driven adaptive learning-signal optimization framework for MARL. Rather than directly deploying LLM-generated rewards, LLM-ALSO decomposes adaptation into iterative diagnosis, proposal, and validation: a Critic LLM diagnoses stage-specific learning and coordination failures from sparse-return metrics and compact behavior evidence, a Generator LLM proposes candidate reward-shaping configurations conditioned on the diagnosis, and branch-validation feedback refines candidates before they affect the main training trajectory. Through short-horizon validation and stage-aware adaptation, LLM-ALSO promotes only validated updates into training, reducing the risk of unreliable LLM-generated modifications. Experiments on sparse-reward cooperative MARL tasks show that LLM-ALSO improves sparse-evaluation performance and learning efficiency.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_29293
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle LLM-ALSO: LLM-Driven Adaptive Learning-Signal Optimization for Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Wu, Xiaoguang
Zheng, Zhi
Xiong, Hui
Multiagent Systems
Effective training-time guidance is central to multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), yet remains difficult in sparse-reward settings where weak supervision limits coordination and policy improvement, and existing methods often require substantial domain expertise or manual design effort. Large language models (LLMs) provide a promising alternative for flexible learning-signal design, yet existing LLM-based methods remain largely single-agent-oriented, one-shot, or weakly validated for the evolving training dynamics of cooperative MARL. To address these limitations, we propose LLM-ALSO, an iterative LLM-driven adaptive learning-signal optimization framework for MARL. Rather than directly deploying LLM-generated rewards, LLM-ALSO decomposes adaptation into iterative diagnosis, proposal, and validation: a Critic LLM diagnoses stage-specific learning and coordination failures from sparse-return metrics and compact behavior evidence, a Generator LLM proposes candidate reward-shaping configurations conditioned on the diagnosis, and branch-validation feedback refines candidates before they affect the main training trajectory. Through short-horizon validation and stage-aware adaptation, LLM-ALSO promotes only validated updates into training, reducing the risk of unreliable LLM-generated modifications. Experiments on sparse-reward cooperative MARL tasks show that LLM-ALSO improves sparse-evaluation performance and learning efficiency.
title LLM-ALSO: LLM-Driven Adaptive Learning-Signal Optimization for Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
topic Multiagent Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29293