Episode 251 - AI Agents: Frameworks and Concepts

Join Mark and Allen in this episode of Two Voice Devs as they explore the fascinating world of AI agents. They break down what agents are, how they work, and what sets them apart from earlier AI technologies. The discussion covers key concepts like "context engineering," and the essential components of an agentic system, including prompts, RAG, memory, tools, and structured outputs.Using a practical example of a prescription management chatbot for veterans, they demonstrate how agents can handle complex tasks. They compare various frameworks for building agents, specifically focusing on OpenAI's Agent SDK (for TypeScript) and Microsoft's Semantic Kernel (for C#). They also touch on other popular frameworks like LangGraph and Google's Agent Developer Kit.Tune in for a detailed comparison of how OpenAI's Agent SDK and Microsoft's Semantic Kernel handle state, tools, and the overall agent lifecycle, and learn what the future holds for these intelligent systems.[00:00:00] - Introduction[00:01:02] - What is an AI Agent?[00:03:12] - Context Engineering and its components[00:06:02] - The role of the Agent Controller[00:08:01] - Agent Mode vs. Agent AI[00:09:36] - Use Case: Prescription Management Chatbot[00:13:42] - Handling Large Lists of Data[00:16:15] - Tools and State Management[00:21:05] - Filtering and Searching with Tools[00:27:08] - Displaying Information and Iterating through lists[00:30:10] - The power of LLMs in Agentic Systems[00:35:18] - Sub-agents and the future of agentic systems[00:38:25] - Comparing different Agent Frameworks[00:39:00] - Wrap up#AIAgents #TwoVoiceDevs #ContextEngineering #OpenAIAgentSDK #SemanticKernel #LangGraph #GoogleADK #LLMs #GenAI #AI #Developer #Podcast #TypeScript #CSharp