Cognitive Architectures for AI Agents

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Overview

Cognitive architectures study how to organize an agent’s perception, memory, goals, reasoning, and actions so it can behave coherently over time. Approaches range from symbolic and BDI-style systems, state machines, and global-workspace models to LLM-based agents with memory, tools, reflection, and specialized components; many combine these methods with learning or embodied control. Researchers evaluate them on long-horizon tasks such as navigation, household and mobile-device control, tool use, multi-agent coordination, and robot deployment, while also examining safety and human oversight. A central challenge is making agents persistent, grounded, and reliable without sacrificing adaptability, efficiency, or interpretability; adding cognitive modules alone does not guarantee better performance.

Latest papers

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86 papers8 papers in the last four weeks, down 53% on the four weeks before. 0.0% of all new papers.

  1. CEAA: A Cognitive Embodied Agents Architecture for Interactive Computing Systems

    Aug 10, 2026Aimilios Hadjiliasi, Louis NisiotisCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsEmbodied Reasoning

    University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus · InSPIRE Research Center

  2. Hierarchical Fast-Slow ReAct Agent for Zero-Shot Object-Goal Navigation

    Aug 10, 2026Zhaochen Lan, Zhi Yang, Yuxiang Fu +1Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsVision-Language Navigation

    School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China · School of Automation, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China

  3. PsychoAgent: An Affect-Sensitive Cognitive Architecture for Conflict-Aware Memory in LLM Agents

    Aug 7, 2026Mohammad Amanlou, Parham Abed Azad, Farbod Davoodi +3Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsLLM Agent Memory

    School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. · Department of Computer Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. · Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, USA. +1

  4. A Taxonomy of Cognitive Capability Gaps in Generative and Agentic AI

    Aug 3, 2026Taye Akinrele, Sindhuja Penchala, Noorbakhsh Amiri Golilarz +2Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsAgentic Reasoning

    Department of Computer Science, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

  5. Predictive Set Theory: A Generative Framework for Cognitive Architecture with Operationalized Core Mechanisms

    Aug 3, 2026Yiyang YuCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsComputational Cognitive Modeling

  6. From Cognitive Architectures to Language Agents: A Mechanism-Level Review of Lineage, Convergence, and Migration Gaps

    Jul 27, 2026Haodi Fan, Zucong LanCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsComputational Cognitive Modeling

  7. Supra Cognitive Modes: A Routed Architecture for Agent Memory

    Jul 21, 2026Joshua Tobkin, David YangCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsLLM Agent Memory

    Supra Research

  8. Nested Episodic State Topology (NEST): A Graph-Theoretic Architecture of Cognitive States

    Jul 7, 2026IshantCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsComputational Cognitive Modeling

  9. A Motivational Architecture for Conversational AGI

    Jun 3, 2026Anna Mikeda, Ben GoertzelCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsIntrinsic Motivation

    Glass Umbrella · SingularityNet

  10. The Sensation Modulating Network:Haltability as the architectural ground for object-directed phenomenology

    May 26, 2026G. Nagarjuna, Durgaprasad KarnamCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsComputational Cognitive Modeling

    Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India · Centre for Educational Technology (CET), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

  11. Interpretation, Learning, and Empathy as One Constraint: A Residual-Adequacy Architecture with Accountable Abstention

    May 24, 2026Chainarong AmornbunchornvejCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsComputational Cognitive Modeling

    National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), 112 Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand

  12. PAVE: A Cognitive Architecture for Legitimate Violation in Generative Agent Societies

    May 19, 2026Ahmad Yehia, Abduallah Mohamed, Kun Qian +4Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsLLM Agent Evaluation

    The University of Texas at Austin · Meta Reality Labs · University of Calgary

  13. CogniFold: Always-On Proactive Memory via Cognitive Folding

    May 13, 2026Suli Wang, Yiqun Duan, Yu Deng +5Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsContinual Learning

    1OpenNorve · University of Cambridge · 3NVIDIA +1

  14. Cognitive Agent Compilation for Explicit Problem Solver Modeling

    May 7, 2026Hyeongdon Moon, Carolyn Rosé, John StamperCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsCognitive Modeling

    Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA 15213, USA

  15. Think Before You Act -- A Neurocognitive Governance Model for Autonomous AI Agents

    Apr 28, 2026Eranga Bandara, Ross Gore, Asanga Gunaratna +12Cognitive Architectures for AI AgentsAI Agent Governance

    Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA · AI Motion Labs, Melbourne, Australia · Florida International University, FL, USA +6

  16. [Emerging Ideas] Artificial Tripartite Intelligence: A Bio-Inspired, Sensor-First Architecture for Physical AI

    Apr 15, 2026You Rim Choi, Subeom Park, Hyung-Sin KimAdaptive SensingEmbodied AI

    Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

  17. Rethinking AI Hardware: A Three-Layer Cognitive Architecture for Autonomous Agents

    Apr 15, 2026Li ChenEdge-Cloud Collaborative InferenceCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

  18. EMBER: Autonomous Cognitive Behaviour from Learned Spiking Neural Network Dynamics in a Hybrid LLM Architecture

    Apr 14, 2026William SavageCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsMemory-Augmented Language Model Agents

    Independent Researcher

  19. Identity as Attractor: Geometric Evidence for Persistent Agent Architecture in LLM Activation Space

    Apr 13, 2026Vladimir VasilenkoRepresentation Geometry in Language ModelsCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    Independent Researcher, Rapallo, Italy

  20. The Missing Knowledge Layer in Cognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    Apr 13, 2026Michaël RoynardCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsAgent Memory

    Independant Researcher

  21. Governed Reasoning for Institutional AI

    Apr 12, 2026Mamadou SeckAI Agent GovernanceAI-Assisted Decision Making

    Independent Researcher

  22. Working Paper: Towards Schema-based Learning from a Category-Theoretic Perspective

    Apr 12, 2026Pablo de los Riscos, Fernando J. Corbacho, Michael A. ArbibCategory TheoryCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    Cognodata I+D & Universidad Autonoma de Madrid · University of California San Diego

  23. "Theater of Mind" for LLMs: A Cognitive Architecture Based on Global Workspace Theory

    Apr 9, 2026Wenlong ShangCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsMulti-Agent LLM Systems

    Beijing Key Laboratory of Computational Intelligence and Intelligent System Beijing University of Technology Beijing, China

  24. Intelligent Three Level Learning Architecture for Autonomous UAV Swarms in Search and Rescue

    Apr 9, 2026Oleksii BychkovSwarm RoboticsCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    Department of Program Systems and Technologies, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

  25. The Cartesian Cut in Agentic AI

    Apr 9, 2026Tim Sainburg, Caleb WeinrebLLM AgentsLanguage Model-Based Control

    Harvard University · Harvard Medical School

  26. Same World, Differently Given: History-Dependent Perceptual Reorganization in Artificial Agents

    Apr 6, 2026Hongju PaeCognitive Architectures for AI AgentsCognitive Modeling

    Active Inference Institute, Crescent City, CA, USA

  27. Cognitive Friction: A Decision-Theoretic Framework for Bounded Deliberation in Tool-Using Agents

    Mar 31, 2026Davide Di GioiaTool-Using AgentsCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

  28. Simulating Human Cognition: Heartbeat-Driven Autonomous Thinking Activity Scheduling for LLM-based AI systems

    Mar 28, 2026Hong SuLLM Agent Workflow OptimizationCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    School of Computer Science, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu, China

  29. STEM Agent: A Self-Adapting, Tool-Enabled, Extensible Architecture for Multi-Protocol AI Agent Systems

    Mar 22, 2026Alfred Shen, Aaron ShenAgentic AISelf-Evolving Agents

  30. ARYA: A Physics-Constrained Composable & Deterministic World Model Architecture

    Mar 22, 2026Seth Dobrin, Lukasz ChmielWorld ModelsCognitive Architectures for AI Agents

    ARYA Labs