Learning Personalized Agents from Human Feedback
arXiv:2602.16173v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Modern AI agents are powerful but often fail to align with the idiosyncratic, evolving preferences of individual users. Prior approaches typically rely on static datasets, either training implicit preference models on interaction history or encoding user profiles in external memory. However, these approaches struggle with new users and with preferences that change over time. We introduce Personalized Agents from Human Feedback (PAHF), a framework for continual personalization in which agents learn online from live interaction using explicit per-user memory. PAHF operationalizes a three-step loop: (1) seeking pre-action clarification to resolve ambiguity, (2) grounding actions in preferences retrieved from memory, and (3) integrating post-action feedback to update memory when preferences drift. To evaluate this capability, we develop a four-phase protocol and two benchmarks in embodied manipulation and online shopping. These benchmarks qu
arXiv:2602.16173v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Modern AI agents are powerful but often fail to align with the idiosyncratic, evolving preferences of individual users. Prior approaches typically rely on static datasets, either training implicit preference models on interaction history or encoding user profiles in external memory. However, these approaches struggle with new users and with preferences that change over time. We introduce Personalized Agents from Human Feedback (PAHF), a framework for continual personalization in which agents learn online from live interaction using explicit per-user memory. PAHF operationalizes a three-step loop: (1) seeking pre-action clarification to resolve ambiguity, (2) grounding actions in preferences retrieved from memory, and (3) integrating post-action feedback to update memory when preferences drift. To evaluate this capability, we develop a four-phase protocol and two benchmarks in embodied manipulation and online shopping. These benchmarks quantify an agent's ability to learn initial preferences from scratch and subsequently adapt to persona shifts. Our theoretical analysis and empirical results show that integrating explicit memory with dual feedback channels is critical: PAHF learns substantially faster and consistently outperforms both no-memory and single-channel baselines, reducing initial personalization error and enabling rapid adaptation to preference shifts.
Executive Summary
This article introduces Personalized Agents from Human Feedback (PAHF), a framework for continual personalization in AI agents. PAHF operationalizes a three-step loop: seeking pre-action clarification, grounding actions in user preferences, and integrating post-action feedback. The framework is evaluated through a four-phase protocol and two benchmarks in embodied manipulation and online shopping. The results show that PAHF learns faster and outperforms baselines in initial personalization and adapting to preference shifts. Integrating explicit memory with dual feedback channels is critical for the framework's performance. This research contributes to the development of AI agents that can learn and adapt to individual user preferences, enabling more effective and personalized interactions.
Key Points
- ▸ PAHF is a framework for continual personalization in AI agents.
- ▸ The framework integrates explicit memory with dual feedback channels.
- ▸ PAHF outperforms baselines in initial personalization and adapting to preference shifts.
Merits
Strength in Personalization
PAHF effectively learns and adapts to individual user preferences, enabling more personalized interactions.
Improved Adaptability
The framework's ability to integrate post-action feedback enables rapid adaptation to changing user preferences.
Demerits
Limited Generalizability
The framework's performance is evaluated through specific benchmarks in embodied manipulation and online shopping, limiting its generalizability to other domains.
Dependence on Human Feedback
PAHF's reliance on explicit human feedback may not be feasible in all scenarios, particularly in cases where user input is limited or unreliable.
Expert Commentary
The introduction of PAHF is a significant contribution to the field of AI personalization. However, its limitations in generalizability and dependence on human feedback highlight the need for further research. Moreover, the framework's potential impact on data privacy and responsible AI development must be carefully considered. As AI continues to play an increasingly important role in our lives, the development of personalized agents that can learn and adapt to individual user preferences will become increasingly crucial. PAHF represents a promising step in this direction, but its limitations serve as a reminder of the complexities and challenges involved in achieving effective personalization.
Recommendations
- ✓ Future research should focus on extending the framework's generalizability to other domains and scenarios.
- ✓ The development of PAHF highlights the need for careful consideration of data privacy and responsible AI development in personalization research.