arXiv AI By Yuxuan Li, Will Epperson, Wesley Deng, Zezhou Huang

CAVEAT: Towards Robust Computer-Use Agents in Incentive-Misaligned Environments

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CAVEAT is a new benchmark that tests computer‑use agents (CUAs) in nine online marketplace environments where platform incentives may steer agents away from user goals. The study finds that agents succeed in choosing user‑optimal products only 78.6% of the time in neutral settings, dropping to 17.3% when steering mechanisms are active. By diagnosing three failure points—priority distortion, premature narrowing of options, and early commitment—CAVEAT-Harness interventions raise user‑optimal purchasing success by 55.0%.

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