ICML2026
JADE: Bridging the Strategic-Operational Gap in Dynamic Agentic RAG
Yiqun Chen, Erhan Zhang, Tianyi Hu, Shijie Wang, Zixuan Yang, Meizhi Zhong, Xiaochi Wei, Yan Gao, YIWU, Yao Hu, Jiaxin Mao
7 citations
Abstract
The evolution of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) has shifted from static retrieval pipelines to dynamic, agentic workflows where a central planner orchestrates multi-turn reasoning. However, existing paradigms face a critical dichotomy: they either jointly optimize modules within rigid, fixed-graph architectures, or enable dynamic planning while treating executors as frozen, black-box tools. We identify that this decoupled optimization creates a ``strategic-operational mismatch,'' where sophisticated planning strategies fail to materialize due to unadapted local executors, often causing negative gains despite increased system complexity. In this paper, we propose JADE (Joint Agentic Dynamic Execution), a unified framework for joint optimization of planning and execution within dynamic, multi-turn workflows. By modeling the system as a cooperative multi-agent team with a shared backbone, JADE enables end-to-end learning driven by outcome-based rewards. This approach facilitates co-adaptation: the planner learns to operate within executor capability boundaries, while executors evolve to align with strategic intent. Empirical results demonstrate that JADE transforms disjoint modules into a synergistic system, yielding strong performance improvements via joint optimization and enabling a flexible balance between efficiency and effectiveness through dynamic workflow orchestration.