Advances and applications in inverse reinforcement learning: a comprehensive review

Reinforcement learning, characterized by trial-and-error learning and delayed rewards, is central to decision-making processes. Its core component, the reward function, is traditionally handcrafted, but designing these functions is often challenging or impossible in real-world scenarios. Inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) addresses this issue by extracting reward functions from expert demonstrations, facilitating optimal policy derivation and offering a deeper understanding of expert behavior. This comprehensive review focuses on three key aspects: the diverse methodologies employed in IRL, its wide-ranging applications across fields such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, and human intent analysis, and the importance of curated datasets in advancing IRL research. A structured analysis of IRL techniques is provided, applications are categorized by domain, and the role of benchmark datasets in evaluating performance and guiding future developments is emphasized. The unique value of IRL in bridging the gap between human and artificial learning is highlighted, demonstrating its potential to unlock advancements in machine learning, decision making, and explainable AI. By summarizing the current state of IRL research and advocating for future directions, this review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to explore and advance the field. © The Author(s) 2025.