{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7161129904","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","title":"Beyond Cooperative Simulators: Generating Realistic User Personas for Robust Evaluation of LLM Agents","display_name":"Beyond Cooperative Simulators: Generating Realistic User Personas for Robust Evaluation of LLM Agents","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-13","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7161129904","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5136104484","display_name":"Harshita Chopra","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chopra, Harshita","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5136169480","display_name":"Kshitish Ghate","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ghate, Kshitish","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5136106235","display_name":"Aylin Caliskan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Caliskan, Aylin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5026130910","display_name":"Tadayoshi Kohno","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4899-226X"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kohno, Tadayoshi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5136137834","display_name":"Chirag Shah","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shah, Chirag","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5046953322","display_name":"Natasha Jaques","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8413-9469"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jaques, Natasha","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14074","display_name":"Persona Design and Applications","score":0.9696000218391418,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1709","display_name":"Human-Computer Interaction"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T14074","display_name":"Persona Design and Applications","score":0.9696000218391418,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1709","display_name":"Human-Computer Interaction"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12128","display_name":"AI in Service Interactions","score":0.004100000020116568,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10709","display_name":"Social Robot Interaction and HRI","score":0.0010999999940395355,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3207","display_name":"Social Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/persona","display_name":"Persona","score":0.6833000183105469},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/baseline","display_name":"Baseline (sea)","score":0.6575999855995178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/python","display_name":"Python (programming language)","score":0.6276000142097473},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task","display_name":"Task (project management)","score":0.538100004196167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/population","display_name":"Population","score":0.5245000123977661},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/generator","display_name":"Generator (circuit theory)","score":0.46299999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/variation","display_name":"Variation (astronomy)","score":0.4018999934196472},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task-analysis","display_name":"Task analysis","score":0.3587999939918518}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7002000212669373},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C313442","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q778556","display_name":"Persona","level":2,"score":0.6833000183105469},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12725497","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q810247","display_name":"Baseline (sea)","level":2,"score":0.6575999855995178},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C519991488","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28865","display_name":"Python (programming language)","level":2,"score":0.6276000142097473},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780451532","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759676","display_name":"Task (project management)","level":2,"score":0.538100004196167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2908647359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2625603","display_name":"Population","level":2,"score":0.5245000123977661},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.515999972820282},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.4733000099658966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780992000","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17016113","display_name":"Generator (circuit theory)","level":3,"score":0.46299999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.42179998755455017},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778334786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1586270","display_name":"Variation (astronomy)","level":2,"score":0.4018999934196472},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175154964","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380077","display_name":"Task analysis","level":3,"score":0.3587999939918518},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.3156000077724457},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159149176","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14489129","display_name":"Evolutionary algorithm","level":2,"score":0.3068000078201294},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136197465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729295","display_name":"Variety (cybernetics)","level":2,"score":0.2946999967098236},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9652623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190109","display_name":"Field (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.28700000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778755073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10858537","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","level":2,"score":0.2687000036239624},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C89505385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47146","display_name":"User interface","level":2,"score":0.26759999990463257},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775924081","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55608371","display_name":"Control (management)","level":2,"score":0.2660999894142151},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83804111","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1063558","display_name":"Behavioral pattern","level":2,"score":0.2563999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C201025465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11248500","display_name":"User experience design","level":2,"score":0.2531999945640564}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.12894","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Large":[0],"Language":[1],"Model":[2],"(LLM)":[3],"agents":[4,65],"are":[5,22,140,224],"increasingly":[6],"deployed":[7],"in":[8,69,100,170,186],"settings":[9],"where":[10],"they":[11],"interact":[12],"with":[13,149,222],"a":[14,63,91,125,143,161,194,246],"wide":[15],"variety":[16],"of":[17,55,79,152,164,204],"people,":[18],"including":[19],"users":[20,200],"who":[21],"unclear,":[23],"impatient,":[24],"or":[25,258],"reluctant":[26],"to":[27,43,128,208,227,237,249],"share":[28],"information.":[29],"However,":[30],"collecting":[31],"real":[32,80,209],"interaction":[33],"data":[34],"at":[35],"scale":[36],"remains":[37],"expensive.":[38],"The":[39],"field":[40],"has":[41],"turned":[42],"LLM-based":[44],"user":[45,101],"simulators":[46,51,102],"as":[47,117,201,215,217],"stand-ins,":[48],"but":[49],"these":[50],"inherit":[52],"the":[53,74,105,158,171,190,205],"behavior":[54],"their":[56],"underlying":[57],"models:":[58],"cooperative":[59],"and":[60,131,176,212,253],"homogeneous.":[61],"As":[62],"result,":[64],"that":[66,95,123],"appear":[67],"strong":[68],"simulation":[70],"often":[71],"fail":[72],"under":[73],"unseen,":[75],"diverse":[76,162],"communication":[77],"patterns":[78],"users.":[81],"To":[82],"narrow":[83],"this":[84],"gap,":[85],"we":[86,113],"introduce":[87],"Persona":[88],"Policies":[89],"(PPol),":[90],"plug-and-play":[92],"control":[93],"layer":[94],"induces":[96],"realistic":[97],"behavioral":[98,154],"variation":[99],"while":[103],"preserving":[104],"original":[106],"task":[107,169,232],"goals.":[108],"Rather":[109],"than":[110],"hand-crafting":[111],"personas,":[112],"cast":[114],"persona":[115],"generation":[116],"an":[118],"LLM-driven":[119],"evolutionary":[120],"program":[121],"search":[122],"optimizes":[124],"Python":[126],"generator":[127,159],"discover":[129],"behaviors":[130],"translate":[132],"them":[133],"into":[134],"task-preserving":[135],"roleplay":[136],"policies.":[137],"Candidate":[138],"generators":[139],"guided":[141],"by":[142,234],"multi-objective":[144],"fitness":[145,187],"score":[146,188],"combining":[147],"human-likeness":[148],"broad":[150],"coverage":[151],"human":[153,202,210],"patterns.":[155],"Once":[156],"optimized,":[157],"produces":[160],"population":[163],"human-like":[165],"personas":[166],"for":[167],"any":[168],"domain.":[172],"Across":[173],"tau^2-bench":[174],"retail":[175],"airline":[177],"domains,":[178],"evolved":[179],"PPol":[180,223],"programs":[181],"yield":[182],"33-62%":[183],"absolute":[184],"gains":[185],"over":[189],"baseline":[191,218],"simulator.":[192],"In":[193],"blinded":[195],"evaluation,":[196],"annotators":[197],"rated":[198],"PPol-conditioned":[199],"80.4%":[203],"time,":[206],"close":[207],"traces":[211],"nearly":[213],"twice":[214],"frequently":[216],"simulators.":[219],"Agents":[220],"trained":[221],"more":[225],"robust":[226],"challenging,":[228],"out-of-distribution":[229],"behaviors,":[230],"improving":[231],"success":[233],"+17%":[235],"relative":[236],"training":[238,254],"only":[239],"on":[240],"existing":[241],"simulated":[242],"interactions.":[243],"This":[244],"offers":[245],"novel":[247],"approach":[248],"strengthen":[250],"simulator-based":[251],"evaluation":[252],"without":[255],"changing":[256],"tasks":[257],"rewards.":[259]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00"}
