Beyond Semantic Relevance: Counterfactual Risk Minimization for Robust Retrieval-Augmented Generation

arXiv:2605.01302v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Standard Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems predominantly rely on semantic relevance as a proxy for utility. However, this assumption collapses in realistic decision-making scenarios where user queries are laden with cognitive biases, such as false premises or confirmation bias. In such cases, maximizing relevance paradoxically promotes the retrieval of sycophantic evidence that reinforces hallucinations, a critical failure we term the ``...