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Mozi: Governed Autonomy for Drug Discovery LLM Agents

Authors: He Cao, Siyu Liu, Fan Zhang, Zijing Liu, Hao Li, Bin Feng, Shengyuan Bai, Leqing Chen, Kai Xie, Yu Li

Published: 2026-03-04

arXiv ID: 2603.03655v1

Added to Library: 2026-03-05 03:01 UTC

Risk & Governance

📄 Abstract

Tool-augmented large language model (LLM) agents promise to unify scientific reasoning with computation, yet their deployment in high-stakes domains like drug discovery is bottlenecked by two critical barriers: unconstrained tool-use governance and poor long-horizon reliability. In dependency-heavy pharmaceutical pipelines, autonomous agents often drift into irreproducible trajectories, where early-stage hallucinations multiplicatively compound into downstream failures. To overcome this, we present Mozi, a dual-layer architecture that bridges the flexibility of generative AI with the deterministic rigor of computational biology. Layer A (Control Plane) establishes a governed supervisor--worker hierarchy that enforces role-based tool isolation, limits execution to constrained action spaces, and drives reflection-based replanning. Layer B (Workflow Plane) operationalizes canonical drug discovery stages -- from Target Identification to Lead Optimization -- as stateful, composable skill graphs. This layer integrates strict data contracts and strategic human-in-the-loop (HITL) checkpoints to safeguard scientific validity at high-uncertainty decision boundaries. Operating on the design principle of ``free-form reasoning for safe tasks, structured execution for long-horizon pipelines,'' Mozi provides built-in robustness mechanisms and trace-level audibility to completely mitigate error accumulation. We evaluate Mozi on PharmaBench, a curated benchmark for biomedical agents, demonstrating superior orchestration accuracy over existing baselines. Furthermore, through end-to-end therapeutic case studies, we demonstrate Mozi's ability to navigate massive chemical spaces, enforce stringent toxicity filters, and generate highly competitive in silico candidates, effectively transforming the LLM from a fragile conversationalist into a reliable, governed co-scientist.

🔍 Key Points

  • Introduction of Mozi, a dual-layer architecture for drug discovery LLM agents, combining flexible AI reasoning with deterministic computational biology demands.
  • Implementation of a Control Plane (Layer A) that governs a supervisor-worker hierarchy enabling tool isolation and constrained action execution to avoid hallucinations and erroneous trajectories in drug discovery.
  • Development of a Workflow Plane (Layer B) that operationalizes drug discovery stages through composable skill graphs, reinforcing scientific rigor with human-in-the-loop checkpoints and strict data contracts.
  • Evaluation on PharmaBench demonstrates Mozi's superior accuracy in drug discovery tasks, showing reliability and robustness against traditional methods.
  • Case studies illustrate Mozi's capability to navigate complex chemical spaces and produce competitive in silico candidates while ensuring scientific validity.

💡 Why This Paper Matters

The paper "Mozi: Governed Autonomy for Drug Discovery LLM Agents" is significant as it addresses critical limitations in the application of LLMs in high-stakes scientific fields like pharmaceuticals. By establishing a structured governance framework that couples AI's flexibility with the rigor required in drug discovery, it provides a pathway for more reliable and validated outcomes. This innovative approach not only enhances the efficiency of drug development workflows but also mitigates risks associated with autonomous AI usage in sensitive domains.

🎯 Why It's Interesting for AI Security Researchers

This paper is of interest to AI security researchers because it highlights governance mechanisms and audit processes essential for the deployment of AI systems in high-stakes environments. The challenges posed by hallucinations, parameter misalignments, and error propagation in LLMs are critical areas for security and reliability in AI applications, making Mozi's insights invaluable for building secure, transparent, and accountable AI frameworks.

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