Towards Trustworthy GUI Agents: A Survey
Authors: name: Yucheng Shi; name: Wenhao Yu; name: Wenlin Yao; name: Wenhu Chen; name: Ninghao Liu
Published: 2025-03-30 13:26:00

Abstract: GUI agents, powered by large foundation models, can interact with digital
interfaces, enabling various applications in web automation, mobile navigation,
and software testing. However, their increasing autonomy has raised critical
concerns about their security, privacy, and safety. This survey examines the
trustworthiness of GUI agents in five critical dimensions: security
vulnerabilities, reliability in dynamic environments, transparency and
explainability, ethical considerations, and evaluation methodologies. We also
identify major challenges such as vulnerability to adversarial attacks,
cascading failure modes in sequential decision-making, and a lack of realistic
evaluation benchmarks. These issues not only hinder real-world deployment but
also call for comprehensive mitigation strategies beyond task success. As GUI
agents become more widespread, establishing robust safety standards and
responsible development practices is essential. This survey provides a
foundation for advancing trustworthy GUI agents through systematic
understanding and future research.