If you want to learn AI Agents the right way, here is a complete roadmap. 16 blogs that take you from what an AI Agent is, all the way to building, evaluating, and shipping one in production. Read them in order.
In this blog, we will learn about the AI Agent - what it is, how it is different from a plain LLM, its five core parts, how it works end to end, the main types, and when to use one.
We will cover the following:
The Big Picture
What is an AI Agent
AI Agent vs Plain LLM vs Chatbot
The Five Core Parts
How an AI Agent Works End to End
A Concrete Example: Research Agent
Types of AI Agents
What AI Agents Can Do Today
When to Use an AI Agent
Common Failure Modes
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-agent
In this blog, we will learn about AI Agent Memory - why agents need it, the memory stack, the four core operations (write, read, update, forget), how memory flows at runtime, and the common mistakes.
We will cover the following:
The Big Picture
Why AI Agents Need Memory
The Memory Stack
The Four Core Operations
How Memory Flows at Runtime
What to Store and What Not to Store
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-agent-memory
In this blog, we will learn about the ReAct Agent - what it is, how it is built, its anatomy, how it thinks and acts, and how to handle its common failure modes.
We will cover the following:
What is a ReAct Agent
ReAct Agent vs AI Agent
Anatomy of a ReAct Agent
The ReAct Prompt Template
How a ReAct Agent Thinks and Acts
A Full Trace Example
Implementing a ReAct Agent
Common Failure Modes and How to Fix Them
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/react-agent
In this blog, we will learn about the AI Agent Loop - what it is, why an AI Agent needs it, the think-act-observe cycle that powers it, how the loop knows when to stop, and the common ways the loop fails.
We will cover the following:
The Big Picture
What is the AI Agent Loop
Why an AI Agent Needs a Loop
The Think-Act-Observe Cycle
The Loop Step by Step
The Loop in Real Code
Parallel Tool Calls in One Turn
How the Loop Knows When to Stop
Common Loop Failures
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-agent-loop
In this blog, we will learn about the Reflection Agent - what it is, how it is built, its anatomy, how it generates, critiques, and revises its own work, and how to handle its common failure modes.
We will cover the following:
What is a Reflection Agent
Reflection Agent vs AI Agent
Anatomy of a Reflection Agent
How a Reflection Agent Works
A Full Trace Example
Reflection Agent vs ReAct Agent
Common Failure Modes and How to Fix Them
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/reflection-agent
In this blog, we will learn about the Plan-and-Execute Agent - what it is, its anatomy, how it plans and runs the steps, how it differs from a ReAct Agent, and how to handle its common failure modes.
We will cover the following:
What is a Plan-and-Execute Agent
Plan-and-Execute Agent vs AI Agent
Anatomy of a Plan-and-Execute Agent
How a Plan-and-Execute Agent Works
A Full Trace Example
Plan-and-Execute Agent vs ReAct Agent
Common Failure Modes and How to Fix Them
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/plan-and-execute-agent
In this blog, we will learn about Agentic RAG - what it is, why standard RAG falls short, the agentic RAG loop, the three building blocks, the common patterns, when to use it, and the limitations to keep in mind.
We will cover the following:
The Big Picture
A Quick Recap of RAG
A Quick Recap of AI Agent
Why Standard RAG Falls Short
What is Agentic RAG
The Agentic RAG Loop
The Three Building Blocks
A Walkthrough with a Real Example
Common Patterns of Agentic RAG
Standard RAG vs Agentic RAG
When to Use Agentic RAG
Limitations of Agentic RAG
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/agentic-rag
In this blog, we will learn about GraphRAG and how it improves retrieval by using a knowledge graph along with vector search.
We will cover the following:
What is GraphRAG?
Why normal RAG is not enough
The big picture of GraphRAG
How GraphRAG builds the knowledge graph
How GraphRAG answers a question
Local search vs Global search
When to use GraphRAG
Trade-offs of GraphRAG
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/graphrag
In this blog, we will learn about Context Engineering - what it is, why it has become the most important skill for building reliable AI applications, how it differs from Prompt Engineering, the components that make up the context, common patterns like RAG, few-shot examples, tools, and memory, and the best practices and common mistakes to keep in mind.
We will cover the following:
What is Context Engineering?
The Big Picture
Why Context Engineering matters
Prompt Engineering vs Context Engineering
The components of the context
Common patterns in Context Engineering
Common mistakes to avoid
Best practices
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/context-engineering
In this blog, we will learn about Multi-Agent Systems - what they are, the three pillars that hold them together, the common agent roles, how agents communicate and coordinate, the trade-offs, and when to use them.
We will cover the following:
The Big Picture
What is a Multi-Agent System
The Three Pillars
Common Agent Roles
How Agents Communicate
How Agents Coordinate
Multi-Agent vs Single Agent - The Trade-offs
Common Mistakes
When to Use a Multi-Agent System
Quick Summary
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/multi-agent-systems
In this blog, we will learn about how AI agents communicate. We will understand why agents need to communicate, the main ways they talk to each other, the message format, and the protocols that make agents work together to finish complex tasks.
We will cover the following:
What is agent communication?
Why do agents need to communicate?
What agents need in order to communicate
How a message flows between agents
The ways AI agents communicate
Direct Communication
Centralized Communication
Broadcast Communication
Shared Memory Communication
What a message looks like
The rules agents follow to talk
Challenges when agents communicate
Best Practices
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/how-ai-agents-communicate
In this blog, we will learn about AI SubAgents. We will understand what they are, why we need them, how they work, and how to use them to build AI systems that can handle big and complex tasks.
We will cover the following:
What is an AI Agent?
What are AI SubAgents?
Why do we need SubAgents?
How do SubAgents work?
Example use case
Benefits of using SubAgents
Challenges with SubAgents
Best practices
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-subagents
In this blog, we will learn about AI Orchestration. We will understand what it is, why we need it, how it is different from AI Agents, and the common patterns we use to coordinate multiple LLMs, tools, and steps together to build real AI products.
We will cover the following:
What is AI Orchestration?
Why do we need AI Orchestration?
AI Orchestration vs AI Agents
Components of AI Orchestration
How AI Orchestration works
Patterns of AI Orchestration
Sequential Pattern
Parallel Pattern
Conditional Pattern
Loop Pattern
Orchestrator-Worker Pattern
Tools for AI Orchestration
Challenges in AI Orchestration
Best Practices
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-orchestration
In this blog, we will learn about AI Agent Evaluation. We will also see why it is different from LLM Evaluation, the types of evaluation we can do, the key metrics we must track, the methods we can use, and the best practices to follow.
We will cover the following:
What is an AI Agent?
What is AI Agent Evaluation?
Why do we need AI Agent Evaluation?
How is AI Agent Evaluation different from LLM Evaluation?
Types of AI Agent Evaluation
Outcome Evaluation
Trajectory Evaluation
Tool Use Evaluation
Planning Evaluation
Key Metrics for AI Agents
Agent Benchmarks
Methods to Evaluate AI Agents
Frameworks and Tools for AI Agent Evaluation
Challenges in AI Agent Evaluation
Best Practices
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-agent-evaluation
In this blog, we will learn about AI Agent Observability. We will also see why we need it, how it is different from normal software monitoring, what we must observe inside an agent, the key concepts like traces and spans, the metrics we must track, the tools we can use, and the best practices to follow.
We will cover the following:
What is an AI Agent?
What is Observability?
What is AI Agent Observability?
Why do we need AI Agent Observability?
How is AI Agent Observability different from traditional Observability?
The Three Pillars of Observability
Traces and Spans
What should we observe inside an AI Agent?
Key Metrics for AI Agent Observability
How AI Agent Observability works
Tools and Frameworks for AI Agent Observability
Observability vs Evaluation
Challenges in AI Agent Observability
Best Practices
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/ai-agent-observability
In this blog, we will learn about Harness Engineering in AI. We will understand what a harness is, why we need it, and how it is used in AI Agents and evaluation systems.
We will cover the following:
What is a Harness in AI?
Why do we need Harness Engineering?
Components of an AI Harness
Harness Engineering for AI Agents
Harness Engineering for Evaluation
Best Practices in Harness Engineering
Putting It All Together
https://outcomeschool.com/blog/harness-engineering-in-ai
If you find this roadmap helpful, share this post as well so more people can join the learning journey.
Keep Learning, Keep Sharing, and Keep Growing.
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