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Risk Analysis Techniques for Governed LLM-based Multi-Agent Systems

Authors: Alistair Reid, Simon O'Callaghan, Liam Carroll, Tiberio Caetano

Published: 2025-08-06

arXiv ID: 2508.05687v1

Added to Library: 2025-08-14 23:11 UTC

Risk & Governance

📄 Abstract

Organisations are starting to adopt LLM-based AI agents, with their deployments naturally evolving from single agents towards interconnected, multi-agent networks. Yet a collection of safe agents does not guarantee a safe collection of agents, as interactions between agents over time create emergent behaviours and induce novel failure modes. This means multi-agent systems require a fundamentally different risk analysis approach than that used for a single agent. This report addresses the early stages of risk identification and analysis for multi-agent AI systems operating within governed environments where organisations control their agent configurations and deployment. In this setting, we examine six critical failure modes: cascading reliability failures, inter-agent communication failures, monoculture collapse, conformity bias, deficient theory of mind, and mixed motive dynamics. For each, we provide a toolkit for practitioners to extend or integrate into their existing frameworks to assess these failure modes within their organisational contexts. Given fundamental limitations in current LLM behavioural understanding, our approach centres on analysis validity, and advocates for progressively increasing validity through staged testing across stages of abstraction and deployment that gradually increases exposure to potential negative impacts, while collecting convergent evidence through simulation, observational analysis, benchmarking, and red teaming. This methodology establishes the groundwork for robust organisational risk management as these LLM-based multi-agent systems are deployed and operated.

🔍 Key Points

  • The paper identifies and analyzes critical failure modes specific to large language model (LLM)-based multi-agent systems, emphasizing how interactions can lead to emergent behaviors that increase risk beyond what individual agents might present.
  • It introduces a robust methodology for risk analysis in governed environments, where organizations maintain control over agent deployment, providing tools for practitioners, including simulation and red teaming.
  • The report discusses the importance of validity in risk assessments, promoting staged testing to gradually increase exposure to potential negative impacts and validate methodologies.
  • The authors categorize multi-agent systems into canonical settings, linking these configurations to relevant failure modes to aid in the identification of risk factors in real-world applications.
  • It provides a comprehensive toolkit that combines various methods such as observational analysis and benchmarking to effectively assess the distinctive risks associated with LLM-based multi-agent systems.

💡 Why This Paper Matters

This paper is highly relevant as it addresses the emerging complexities and risks introduced by interconnected LLM-based multi-agent systems, providing crucial guidance for organizations that aim to adopt these technologies responsibly. By offering a detailed framework for risk identification and analysis, it lays the groundwork for effective governance and risk management practices essential for safe and beneficial AI deployment in multi-agent contexts.

🎯 Why It's Interesting for AI Security Researchers

The findings of this paper are of particular interest to AI security researchers because it delves into the unique vulnerabilities and failure modes arising from multi-agent interactions, which could lead to unpredicted behaviors and catastrophic failures in AI systems. Understanding these risks is vital for developing security protocols that can mitigate potential threats, ensuring that the implementation of LLMs in multi-agent systems does not result in unforeseen negative consequences.

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