pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Public Discourse Sandbox: Facilitating Human and AI Digital Communication Research
Authors: Kristina Radivojevic, Caleb Reinking, Shaun Whitfield, Paul Brenner
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Prompt Engineering, RAG, Retrieval-augmented Generation

Social media serves as a primary communication and information dissemination platform for major global events, entertainment, and niche or topically focused community discussions. Therefore, it represents a valuable resource for researchers who aim to understand numerous questions. However, obtaining data can be difficult, expensive, and often unreliable due to the presence of bots, fake accounts, and manipulated content. Additionally, there are ethical concerns if researchers decide to conduct an online experiment without explicitly notifying social media users about their intent. There is a need for more controlled and scalable mechanisms to evaluate the impacts of digital discussion interventions on audiences. We introduce the Public Discourse Sandbox (PDS), which serves as a digital discourse research platform for human-AI as well as AI-AI discourse research, testing, and training. PDS provides a safe and secure space for research experiments that are not viable on public, commercial social media platforms. Its main purpose is to enable the understanding of AI behaviors and the impacts of customized AI participants via techniques such as prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning. We provide a hosted live version of the sandbox to support researchers as well as the open-sourced code on GitHub for community collaboration and contribution.
Improving Research Idea Generation Through Data: An Empirical Investigation in Social Science
Authors: Xiao Liu, Xinyi Dong, Xinyang Gao, Yansong Feng, Xun Pang
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00

Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have shown promise in generating novel research ideas. However, these ideas often face challenges related to feasibility and expected effectiveness. This paper explores how augmenting LLMs with relevant data during the idea generation process can enhance the quality of generated ideas. We introduce two ways of incorporating data: (1) providing metadata during the idea generation stage to guide LLMs toward feasible directions, and (2) adding automatic validation during the idea selection stage to assess the empirical plausibility of hypotheses within ideas. We conduct experiments in the social science domain, specifically with climate negotiation topics, and find that metadata improves the feasibility of generated ideas by 20%, while automatic validation improves the overall quality of selected ideas by 7%. A human study shows that LLM-generated ideas, along with their related data and validation processes, inspire researchers to propose research ideas with higher quality. Our work highlights the potential of data-driven research idea generation, and underscores the practical utility of LLM-assisted ideation in real-world academic settings.
GGBond: Growing Graph-Based AI-Agent Society for Socially-Aware Recommender Simulation
Authors: Hailin Zhong, Hanlin Wang, Yujun Ye, Meiyi Zhang, Shengxin Zhu
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: AI Agent, Personality Alignment, Recommendation Systems

Current personalized recommender systems predominantly rely on static offline data for algorithm design and evaluation, significantly limiting their ability to capture long-term user preference evolution and social influence dynamics in real-world scenarios. To address this fundamental challenge, we propose a high-fidelity social simulation platform integrating human-like cognitive agents and dynamic social interactions to realistically simulate user behavior evolution under recommendation interventions. Specifically, the system comprises a population of Sim-User Agents, each equipped with a five-layer cognitive architecture that encapsulates key psychological mechanisms, including episodic memory, affective state transitions, adaptive preference learning, and dynamic trust-risk assessments. In particular, we innovatively introduce the Intimacy--Curiosity--Reciprocity--Risk (ICR2) motivational engine grounded in psychological and sociological theories, enabling more realistic user decision-making processes. Furthermore, we construct a multilayer heterogeneous social graph (GGBond Graph) supporting dynamic relational evolution, effectively modeling users' evolving social ties and trust dynamics based on interest similarity, personality alignment, and structural homophily. During system operation, agents autonomously respond to recommendations generated by typical recommender algorithms (e.g., Matrix Factorization, MultVAE, LightGCN), deciding whether to consume, rate, and share content while dynamically updating their internal states and social connections, thereby forming a stable, multi-round feedback loop. This innovative design transcends the limitations of traditional static datasets, providing a controlled, observable environment for evaluating long-term recommender effects.
Position is Power: System Prompts as a Mechanism of Bias in Large Language Models (LLMs)
Authors: Anna Neumann, Elisabeth Kirsten, Muhammad Bilal Zafar, Jatinder Singh
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Position

System prompts in Large Language Models (LLMs) are predefined directives that guide model behaviour, taking precedence over user inputs in text processing and generation. LLM deployers increasingly use them to ensure consistent responses across contexts. While model providers set a foundation of system prompts, deployers and third-party developers can append additional prompts without visibility into others' additions, while this layered implementation remains entirely hidden from end-users. As system prompts become more complex, they can directly or indirectly introduce unaccounted for side effects. This lack of transparency raises fundamental questions about how the position of information in different directives shapes model outputs. As such, this work examines how the placement of information affects model behaviour. To this end, we compare how models process demographic information in system versus user prompts across six commercially available LLMs and 50 demographic groups. Our analysis reveals significant biases, manifesting in differences in user representation and decision-making scenarios. Since these variations stem from inaccessible and opaque system-level configurations, they risk representational, allocative and potential other biases and downstream harms beyond the user's ability to detect or correct. Our findings draw attention to these critical issues, which have the potential to perpetuate harms if left unexamined. Further, we argue that system prompt analysis must be incorporated into AI auditing processes, particularly as customisable system prompts become increasingly prevalent in commercial AI deployments.
Fixed-Point Traps and Identity Emergence in Educational Feedback Systems
Authors: Faruk Alpay
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00

This paper presents a formal categorical proof that exam-driven educational systems obstruct identity emergence and block creative convergence. Using the framework of Alpay Algebra II and III, we define Exam-Grade Collapse Systems (EGCS) as functorial constructs where learning dynamics $\varphi$ are recursively collapsed by evaluative morphisms $E$. We prove that under such collapse regimes, no nontrivial fixed-point algebra $\mu_\varphi$ can exist, hence learner identity cannot stabilize. This creates a universal fixed-point trap: all generative functors are entropically folded before symbolic emergence occurs. Our model mathematically explains the creativity suppression, research stagnation, and structural entropy loss induced by timed exams and grade-based feedback. The results apply category theory to expose why modern educational systems prevent {\phi}-emergence and block observer-invariant self-formation. This work provides the first provable algebraic obstruction of identity formation caused by institutional feedback mechanics.
Fairness in Federated Learning: Fairness for Whom?
Authors: Afaf Taik, Khaoula Chehbouni, Golnoosh Farnadi
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Fairness, Federated Learning

Fairness in federated learning has emerged as a rapidly growing area of research, with numerous works proposing formal definitions and algorithmic interventions. Yet, despite this technical progress, fairness in FL is often defined and evaluated in ways that abstract away from the sociotechnical contexts in which these systems are deployed. In this paper, we argue that existing approaches tend to optimize narrow system level metrics, such as performance parity or contribution-based rewards, while overlooking how harms arise throughout the FL lifecycle and how they impact diverse stakeholders. We support this claim through a critical analysis of the literature, based on a systematic annotation of papers for their fairness definitions, design decisions, evaluation practices, and motivating use cases. Our analysis reveals five recurring pitfalls: 1) fairness framed solely through the lens of server client architecture, 2) a mismatch between simulations and motivating use-cases and contexts, 3) definitions that conflate protecting the system with protecting its users, 4) interventions that target isolated stages of the lifecycle while neglecting upstream and downstream effects, 5) and a lack of multi-stakeholder alignment where multiple fairness definitions can be relevant at once. Building on these insights, we propose a harm centered framework that links fairness definitions to concrete risks and stakeholder vulnerabilities. We conclude with recommendations for more holistic, context-aware, and accountable fairness research in FL.
AITEE -- Agentic Tutor for Electrical Engineering
Authors: Christopher Knievel, Alexander Bernhardt, Christian Bernhardt
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Electrical Engineering, Retrieval-augmented Generation

Intelligent tutoring systems combined with large language models offer a promising approach to address students' diverse needs and promote self-efficacious learning. While large language models possess good foundational knowledge of electrical engineering basics, they remain insufficiently capable of addressing specific questions about electrical circuits. In this paper, we present AITEE, an agent-based tutoring system for electrical engineering designed to accompany students throughout their learning process, offer individualized support, and promote self-directed learning. AITEE supports both hand-drawn and digital circuits through an adapted circuit reconstruction process, enabling natural interaction with students. Our novel graph-based similarity measure identifies relevant context from lecture materials through a retrieval augmented generation approach, while parallel Spice simulation further enhances accuracy in applying solution methodologies. The system implements a Socratic dialogue to foster learner autonomy through guided questioning. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that AITEE significantly outperforms baseline approaches in domain-specific knowledge application, with even medium-sized LLM models showing acceptable performance. Our results highlight the potential of agentic tutors to deliver scalable, personalized, and effective learning environments for electrical engineering education.
Research Community Perspectives on "Intelligence" and Large Language Models
Authors: Bertram Højer, Terne Sasha Thorn Jakobsen, Anna Rogers, Stefan Heinrich
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Survey

Despite the widespread use of ''artificial intelligence'' (AI) framing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) research, it is not clear what researchers mean by ''intelligence''. To that end, we present the results of a survey on the notion of ''intelligence'' among researchers and its role in the research agenda. The survey elicited complete responses from 303 researchers from a variety of fields including NLP, Machine Learning (ML), Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Neuroscience. We identify 3 criteria of intelligence that the community agrees on the most: generalization, adaptability, & reasoning. Our results suggests that the perception of the current NLP systems as ''intelligent'' is a minority position (29%). Furthermore, only 16.2% of the respondents see developing intelligent systems as a research goal, and these respondents are more likely to consider the current systems intelligent.
Beyond Explainability: The Case for AI Validation
Authors: Dalit Ken-Dror Feldman, Daniel Benoliel
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Fairness

Artificial Knowledge (AK) systems are transforming decision-making across critical domains such as healthcare, finance, and criminal justice. However, their growing opacity presents governance challenges that current regulatory approaches, focused predominantly on explainability, fail to address adequately. This article argues for a shift toward validation as a central regulatory pillar. Validation, ensuring the reliability, consistency, and robustness of AI outputs, offers a more practical, scalable, and risk-sensitive alternative to explainability, particularly in high-stakes contexts where interpretability may be technically or economically unfeasible. We introduce a typology based on two axes, validity and explainability, classifying AK systems into four categories and exposing the trade-offs between interpretability and output reliability. Drawing on comparative analysis of regulatory approaches in the EU, US, UK, and China, we show how validation can enhance societal trust, fairness, and safety even where explainability is limited. We propose a forward-looking policy framework centered on pre- and post-deployment validation, third-party auditing, harmonized standards, and liability incentives. This framework balances innovation with accountability and provides a governance roadmap for responsibly integrating opaque, high-performing AK systems into society.
Enhancing Selection of Climate Tech Startups with AI -- A Case Study on Integrating Human and AI Evaluations in the ClimaTech Great Global Innovation Challenge
Authors: Jennifer Turliuk, Alejandro Sevilla, Daniela Gorza, Tod Hynes
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00

This case study examines the ClimaTech Great Global Innovation Challenge's approach to selecting climate tech startups by integrating human and AI evaluations. The competition aimed to identify top startups and enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the selection process through a hybrid model. Research shows data-driven approaches help VC firms reduce bias and improve decision-making. Machine learning models have outperformed human investors in deal screening, helping identify high-potential startups. Incorporating AI aimed to ensure more equitable and objective evaluations. The methodology included three phases: initial AI review, semi-finals judged by humans, and finals using a hybrid weighting. In phase one, 57 applications were scored by an AI tool built with StackAI and OpenAI's GPT-4o, and the top 36 advanced. In the semi-finals, human judges, unaware of AI scores, evaluated startups on team quality, market potential, and technological innovation. Each score - human or AI - was weighted equally, resulting in 75 percent human and 25 percent AI influence. In the finals, with five human judges, weighting shifted to 83.3 percent human and 16.7 percent AI. There was a moderate positive correlation between AI and human scores - Spearman's = 0.47 - indicating general alignment with key differences. Notably, the final four startups, selected mainly by humans, were among those rated highest by the AI. This highlights the complementary nature of AI and human judgment. The study shows that hybrid models can streamline and improve startup assessments. The ClimaTech approach offers a strong framework for future competitions by combining human expertise with AI capabilities.
Agent-UniRAG: A Trainable Open-Source LLM Agent Framework for Unified Retrieval-Augmented Generation Systems
Authors: Hoang Pham, Thuy-Duong Nguyen, Khac-Hoai Nam Bui
Date: 2025-05-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Large Language Model, Question Answering, RAG, Retrieval, Retrieval-augmented Generation

This paper presents a novel approach for unified retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems using the recent emerging large language model (LLM) agent concept. Specifically, Agent LLM, which utilizes LLM as fundamental controllers, has become a promising approach to enable the interpretability of RAG tasks, especially for complex reasoning question-answering systems (e.g., multi-hop queries). Nonetheless, previous works mainly focus on solving RAG systems with either single-hop or multi-hop approaches separately, which limits the application of those approaches to real-world applications. In this study, we propose a trainable agent framework called Agent-UniRAG for unified retrieval-augmented LLM systems, which enhances the effectiveness and interpretability of RAG systems. The main idea is to design an LLM agent framework to solve RAG tasks step-by-step based on the complexity of the inputs, simultaneously including single-hop and multi-hop queries in an end-to-end manner. Furthermore, we introduce SynAgent-RAG, a synthetic dataset to enable the proposed agent framework for small open-source LLMs (e.g., Llama-3-8B). The results show comparable performances with closed-source and larger open-source LLMs across various RAG benchmarks. Our source code and dataset are publicly available for further exploitation.
ClaimPKG: Enhancing Claim Verification via Pseudo-Subgraph Generation with Lightweight Specialized LLM
Authors: Hoang Pham, Thanh-Do Nguyen, Khac-Hoai Nam Bui
Date: 2025-05-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Claim Verification, Knowledge Graphs

Integrating knowledge graphs (KGs) to enhance the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs) is an emerging research challenge in claim verification. While KGs provide structured, semantically rich representations well-suited for reasoning, most existing verification methods rely on unstructured text corpora, limiting their ability to effectively leverage KGs. Additionally, despite possessing strong reasoning abilities, modern LLMs struggle with multi-step modular pipelines and reasoning over KGs without adaptation. To address these challenges, we propose ClaimPKG, an end-to-end framework that seamlessly integrates LLM reasoning with structured knowledge from KGs. Specifically, the main idea of ClaimPKG is to employ a lightweight, specialized LLM to represent the input claim as pseudo-subgraphs, guiding a dedicated subgraph retrieval module to identify relevant KG subgraphs. These retrieved subgraphs are then processed by a general-purpose LLM to produce the final verdict and justification. Extensive experiments on the FactKG dataset demonstrate that ClaimPKG achieves state-of-the-art performance, outperforming strong baselines in this research field by 9%-12% accuracy points across multiple categories. Furthermore, ClaimPKG exhibits zero-shot generalizability to unstructured datasets such as HoVer and FEVEROUS, effectively combining structured knowledge from KGs with LLM reasoning across various LLM backbones.
Something's Fishy In The Data Lake: A Critical Re-evaluation of Table Union Search Benchmarks
Authors: Allaa Boutaleb, Bernd Amann, Hubert Naacke, Rafael Angarita
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00
Tasks: Representation Learning

Recent table representation learning and data discovery methods tackle table union search (TUS) within data lakes, which involves identifying tables that can be unioned with a given query table to enrich its content. These methods are commonly evaluated using benchmarks that aim to assess semantic understanding in real-world TUS tasks. However, our analysis of prominent TUS benchmarks reveals several limitations that allow simple baselines to perform surprisingly well, often outperforming more sophisticated approaches. This suggests that current benchmark scores are heavily influenced by dataset-specific characteristics and fail to effectively isolate the gains from semantic understanding. To address this, we propose essential criteria for future benchmarks to enable a more realistic and reliable evaluation of progress in semantic table union search.
CSI-Bench: A Large-Scale In-the-Wild Dataset for Multi-task WiFi Sensing
Authors: Guozhen Zhu, Yuqian Hu, Weihang Gao, Wei-Hsiang Wang, Beibei Wang, K. J. Ray Liu
Date: 2025-05-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Multi-Task Learning, Privacy Preserving

WiFi sensing has emerged as a compelling contactless modality for human activity monitoring by capturing fine-grained variations in Channel State Information (CSI). Its ability to operate continuously and non-intrusively while preserving user privacy makes it particularly suitable for health monitoring. However, existing WiFi sensing systems struggle to generalize in real-world settings, largely due to datasets collected in controlled environments with homogeneous hardware and fragmented, session-based recordings that fail to reflect continuous daily activity. We present CSI-Bench, a large-scale, in-the-wild benchmark dataset collected using commercial WiFi edge devices across 26 diverse indoor environments with 35 real users. Spanning over 461 hours of effective data, CSI-Bench captures realistic signal variability under natural conditions. It includes task-specific datasets for fall detection, breathing monitoring, localization, and motion source recognition, as well as a co-labeled multitask dataset with joint annotations for user identity, activity, and proximity. To support the development of robust and generalizable models, CSI-Bench provides standardized evaluation splits and baseline results for both single-task and multi-task learning. CSI-Bench offers a foundation for scalable, privacy-preserving WiFi sensing systems in health and broader human-centric applications.
LazyVLM: Neuro-Symbolic Approach to Video Analytics
Authors: Xiangru Jian, Wei Pang, Zhengyuan Dong, Chao Zhang, M. Tamer Özsu
Date: 2025-05-27 00:00:00

Current video analytics approaches face a fundamental trade-off between flexibility and efficiency. End-to-end Vision Language Models (VLMs) often struggle with long-context processing and incur high computational costs, while neural-symbolic methods depend heavily on manual labeling and rigid rule design. In this paper, we introduce LazyVLM, a neuro-symbolic video analytics system that provides a user-friendly query interface similar to VLMs, while addressing their scalability limitation. LazyVLM enables users to effortlessly drop in video data and specify complex multi-frame video queries using a semi-structured text interface for video analytics. To address the scalability limitations of VLMs, LazyVLM decomposes multi-frame video queries into fine-grained operations and offloads the bulk of the processing to efficient relational query execution and vector similarity search. We demonstrate that LazyVLM provides a robust, efficient, and user-friendly solution for querying open-domain video data at scale.