Scaling Online Distributionally Robust Reinforcement Learning: Sample-Efficient Guarantees with General Function Approximation

arXiv — cs.LGTuesday, December 23, 2025 at 5:00:00 AM
  • A new paper on arXiv introduces an online distributionally robust reinforcement learning (DR-RL) algorithm that learns optimal robust policies through direct interaction with environments, eliminating the need for prior models or offline data. This advancement addresses the performance degradation often faced by reinforcement learning agents in real-world applications due to mismatches between training and deployment environments.
  • The proposed algorithm offers sample-efficient guarantees and is designed to scale effectively to high-dimensional tasks, making it a significant step forward in the field of reinforcement learning. By optimizing worst-case performance over an uncertainty set of transition dynamics, this approach enhances the robustness of RL agents in dynamic settings.
  • This development aligns with ongoing efforts in the AI community to improve the adaptability and efficiency of reinforcement learning methods, particularly in the face of distribution shifts and the challenges of real-world applications. The integration of optimal transport theory and layered control architectures in related works further emphasizes the importance of robust optimization frameworks in achieving certifiable autonomy and effective decision-making in complex environments.
— via World Pulse Now AI Editorial System

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