Building Your First AI Agent, Step by Step
Understand what an agent is, then build a simple one: a goal, a loop, a few tools and clear stopping rules, with a framework-free Python sketch.
An agent is an AI system that works toward a goal over several steps, deciding for itself which action to take next, such as searching, reading a file or running code. A chatbot answers once. An agent keeps going until the job is done or it hits a limit. You do not need a big framework to understand how this works.
Related guides
How AI Assistants Actually Work (Without the Jargon)
A plain-English tour of what happens when you type a message to an AI assistant, and why that explains both its strengths and its odd mistakes.
4 min read
Writing Your First Good Prompt
A simple five-part recipe for prompts that get useful answers on the first try, with before-and-after examples you can adapt to any assistant.
4 min read
Prompt Patterns That Work Across Every Assistant
Seven reusable prompting patterns, from role and few-shot examples to critique loops, with templates you can paste into any chatbot.
5 min read