MIT AI Risk Repository · domain 7: AI system safety, failures, & limitations

7.6 Multi-agent risks

Risks from multi-agent interactions, due to incentives (which can lead to conflict or collusion) and/or the structure of multi-agent systems, which can create cascading failures, selection pressures, new security vulnerabilities, and a lack of shared information and trust.

Risk entries
53
Frameworks citing it
5
Recorded incidents
Incidents since 2020
Causal entity (risk entries)
Causal entity (risk entries) 35 0 AI: 35 AI 35 Other: 15 Other 15 Human: 3 Human 3
Causal entity (risk entries)
LabelValue
AI35
Other15
Human3
Intent (risk entries)
Intent (risk entries) 23 0 Unintentional: 23 Unintentional 23 Other: 15 Other 15 Intentional: 15 Intentional 15
Intent (risk entries)
LabelValue
Unintentional23
Other15
Intentional15
Timing (risk entries)
Timing (risk entries) 44 0 Post-deployment: 44 Post-deployment 44 Other: 8 Other 8 Pre-deployment: 1 Pre-deployment 1
Timing (risk entries)
LabelValue
Post-deployment44
Other8
Pre-deployment1
Entries by levelRisk categories, subcategories and additional evidence coded to this subdomain
Entries by level 42 0 Risk Category: 11 Risk Category 11 Risk Sub-Category: 42 Risk Sub-Category 42
Entries by level
LabelValue
Risk Category11
Risk Sub-Category42
  • Multi-agent collusion propensity:

    "Multiple agents tend to coordinate actions through covert means to maximize common interests (possibly harming third-party interests or evading regulation), even if individual agents are designed wit...

    Frontier AI Risk Management Framework (v1.0) (Tse2025) · AI · Unintentional · Post-deployment

  • Pattern recognition capability

    "AI models and systems could exacerbate financial bubbles by reinforcing market trends."

    A Taxonomy of Systemic Risks from General-Purpose AI (Uuk2025) · AI · Unintentional · Post-deployment

  • Trading capabilities

    "AI may contribute to increased market volatility by accelerating transactions and influencing financial trends in unpredictable ways."

    A Taxonomy of Systemic Risks from General-Purpose AI (Uuk2025) · AI · Unintentional · Post-deployment