Headline: What are AI agents
The web3 space has seen a recent inflow of AI agents. It is rumored that AI agent projects are
the latest narrative. This has raised the interest of people in what AI agents are and how they
differ from traditional AI models.
If you are completely new or an AI enthusiast, this guide will walk you through all you need to
know about AI agents.
AI agents independently perform an action based on goals set by humans and their
environment. The autonomous nature of AI agents sets it apart. When given a goal to achieve,
they plan and create tasks and subtasks that help achieve the goal; after that, they learn from
user feedback to make better decisions in the future.
AI agents differ from traditional AI Models because they are not limited to available data; when a
task is above the capability of the available dataset, it resorts to external means such as web
searches, other agents, API, and external data sets.
AI agents take inputs through prompts, a camera, or sensors
An example is a self-driving car; the agent is trained to detect people, objects, traffic lights, and
more. When a user requests a ride, they access an external map and take the most efficient
route
All AI agents share a similar architecture.
Ai agents' architecture
AI agents are trained to perform different actions depending on the industry and goal of the
organization. These actions include making recommendations, operating driverless cars,
detecting fraudulent acts, making diagnoses, and more. Agent models share a similar
architecture.
The layers include:
Perception layer
This layer collects information from the agents' environment. This Is achieved through cameras,
sensors, microphones, or Input chat boxes.
Knowledge base
This contains the data needed for the agent to make decisions. Static data are stored in the
database, while real-time, up-to-date data, such as cryptocurrency prices or weather conditions,
are fetched through APIs.
Reasoning and decision-making layer
These are neural network and reinforcement learning algorithms that agents use to make
decisions.
Learning layer
The learning layers leverage Q-learning algorithms and gradient descent to improve
decision-making. Agents learn to improve through user feedback and rewards.
Action layer
After decision-making, action layers encapsulate all the means of responding to user inputs or
commands. It includes robot arms, text, image, or speech outputs, Alerts, and notifications.
Communication layer
AI agents communicate with humans and other agents. This could be through natural language
processing for humans and API for other AI agents.
Performance and monitoring
To improve agentic models over time, systems are set in place to track agents' performance.
They include logging systems, error and anomaly detection, and user review.
Environment Interface
This layer connects an agent to its environment. It consists of hardware interfaces and cloud
platforms.
With these layers put in place to make an agent, they can process requests, make informed
decisions, and take timely actions. It also enhances their performance in the long run through
continuous learning. This unique architecture births unique features.
Features of AI agents
AI agents are trained to perceive their environment, take instructions, and take action to achieve
specific goals. The features of agentic models include:
Autonomy
AI agents can perceive their environment, process this information, and make decisions on the
right action to take. All this is done without human intervention.
Reactivity
AI agents can react to changes in the environment. They can change their actions when the
environment changes.
Proactiveness
Agentic models sometimes create problems and find solutions to them, in preparation for
real-time problems that might come up in the future.
Learning ability
They learn continually from data and experience. They make use of feedback to improve
efficiency from humans and other agents.
Goal-oriented behavior
They are goal-oriented. They can create tasks and subtasks, and all are geared towards
achieving a goal.
Ethical and safe operations
AI agents are trained to operate within ethical boundaries.
This feature highlights the uniqueness of AI agents.
Types of AI agents
AI agents can be classified into types based on organizational needs and computational
complexity.
An AI agent that crawls the internet to return the name of the book containing a particular quote
will require less complexity from an agent that powers a driverless car.
The types from the simplest include:
Simple reflex agent
These agents follow preset rules; they don't record past events or predict future events.
Model reflex agent
Model reflex agents have a model of their environment. They can make decisions if unexpected
events occur.
Goal-based agent
Goal-based agents are focused on achieving a particular goal. They look through all the
possible ways to achieve the goal and choose the most efficient.
Utility-based agent
Utility-based agents are more like goal-based agents except that they are user-centric. They
follow the path that makes the user happy
Learning agents
These agents learn from past events through feedback. They sometimes create problems to
test themselves.
Hierarchical agents
Hierarchical agents take complex tasks, break them into subtasks, and distribute them among
smaller agents. The smaller agents, perform their action and send it to the higher agent.
Benefits of AI agents
Enhanced productivity
Agentic models autonomously perform tasks. This Is done rapidly at scale.
Reduce cost
AI agent automation Is less expensive than human labor. It also reduces costs due to human
errors and manual processes.
Informed decisions making
They leverage real-time data, stored data, and experience to make quick and informed
decisions.
Use cases of AI agents
AI agents are used to streamline activities. The functions of AI agents go from turning on the
street lights at a particular time or condition to controlling driverless cars.
Some of the use cases include:
Self-driving cars
Driverless cars are powered by AI agents. They take in instructions of where the user wants to
go. Look through the routes for the most efficient and cost-effective route.
Vacuum cleaners
Cleaners controlled by AI agents can detect obtrusion and stop it.
Chatbot
These chatbots tap into a robust dataset to provide valuable outputs. They engage with other
agents, perform web searches, and also learn from experience.
Recommendation systems
AI agents can be employed in streaming channels to make recommendations for users based
on user history and preference.
Limitations of AI agents
While Ai has helped in task automation, business growth, and improved productivity. There are
major challenges that, when addressed, will unlock the full potential of AI agents.
They include but are not limited to:
Lack of context awareness
AI lacks an understanding of abstract concepts and emotions. They may fail to understand
sarcasm or frustration.
Dependence on data
AI agents rely heavily on data. This data influences the reasoning and decision-making process
of the agent. Biased data leads to biased decision-making.
Ethical and privacy concerns
AI agents can misuse sensitive information. Big companies can extract information given to AI
agents for their selfish reasons.
Computational costs
Training and operation of AI require high computational resources. These, in turn, harm the
environment.
Maintenance challenges
AI agents require consistent updates. These updates include system updates, software, and
data updates.
AI agents have significantly improved workflow in many industries. In the face of challenges,
providing robust datasets, consistent data and system updates, and a clear definition of goals
will unlock more dimensions. Instead of shying away from AI, embrace it and use it to enhance
productivity.
This educational content was published on medium
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