AI Agents 101 - An Introduction to Agents and Examples of How to Build Them

Sep 4, 2026

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Generative AI has evolved from prompt-engineered chatbots to retrieval-augmented assistants and now AI agents, creating new terminology, architecture differences, and adoption risks. This session demystifies agents by outlining key criteria for AI agents, the agentic patterns used to build them, and the technologies required to connect and secure agent systems. Attendees benefit from basic knowledge of a programming language like Python and foundational Generative AI concepts, improving readiness for practical agentic development and responsible deployment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages115

Reading Time4 h 50 min

AccessFree to download

The Abstract

An General Introduction to AI Agents

Agenda

Why Agents?

Techniques, Technologies, and Protocols

Agentic AI Security

Summary and Outlook

Who is this guy?

Why Agents?

What is (Generative) AI being used for?

Foundational Business Principles

AI Agents 101: An Introduction to Agents and Examples of How to Build Them Tim Miller, PhD Cloud and AI Solutions Engineer BRKETI-1008 Webex App Questions? Use Webex App to chat with the speaker after the session How 1 Find this session in the Cisco Events App 2 Click “Join the Discussion” 3 Install the Webex App or go directly to the Webex space 4 Enter messages/questions in the Webex space Webex spaces will be moderated by the speaker until February 27, 2026. Enter your personal notes here © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 - The Abstract When Generative AI burst on the scene three years ago, the world was abuzz with the technology's natural language processing capabilities. Since its introduction, the industry has now seen three major transitions in GenAI architectures: chatbots with prompt engineering, AI assistants enhanced with RAG, and now AI agents. The speed of innovation in this space is FAST and understanding the terminology, architectural differences, and emerging risks has become a barrier to adoption. This session will demystify agents by introducing the key criteria for AI agents, the agentic patterns to build them, and the technologies to connect and secure them. Knowledge of a programming language like Python and foundational Generative AI concepts will greatly enhance the attendee's experience. © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 - An General Introduction to AI Agents… No focus on specific agentic AI use cases Plethora of sessions showcasing specific Agentic AI use cases… A mere sampling of the catalog (see QR code) • How to Build AI Agents for Automating Networking Software Development [AI-1013] • Revolutionize Your Data Analysis with Agentic AI Agents [AI-2722] • MCP Servers and AI Agents for Networking and Security at Cisco Code Exchange [DEVNET-2739] • Ambient AI Agents: Running Your Network While You Sleep [BRKOPS-2302] This session is designed to be the first step in your Agentic AI journey! © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 - Agenda 01 Why Agents? 02 Techniques, Technologies, and Protocols 03 Agentic AI Security 04 Summary and Outlook © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 - Who is this guy? • Working in and around data centers longer than those Catalyst 6500s you just refreshed. • Cisco for 9 years • 2 years focusing on Kubernetes in DC • 2 years focusing on Security in Kubernetes and Cloud • 6 months focusing on Agentic AI and AGNTCY launch • Before Cisco: • High performance computing (HPC) [with GPUs] • Network Architect • High frequency trading © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 Collector of certificates PhD in Physics Cisco Certified DevNet Professional Cisco Certified Network Professional (R/S) Cisco Certified Network Professional (DC) Cisco Certified AI Technical Practitioner Kubernetes (CKA, CKAD, CKS) certifications - Why Agents? Foundational Models The Landscape OpenAI Advanced reasoning Agentic Autonomy Anthropic Conversational, task handling Enterprise Grade Safety Google Coding with Scaffolding Ecosystem integrations Meta Open Source Adaptability xAI Abstract reasoning Real Time Data Point in time snapshot of relative strengths. Each release shifts the landscape. © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKETI-1008 - What is (Generative) AI being used for? Amazing Capabilities Natural Language Processing Sentiment Analysis Creative Writing © 2026 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Content Generation Photorealistic Images Studio Quality Movies BRKETI-1008 Reasoning Problem Decomposition Problem Solving - Foundational Business Principles Key Requirements for Non-Human Processes Reliable Accurate analysis

FAQs

What transitions in generative AI architectures are discussed in the session?

The session highlights three major transitions: prompt-engineered chatbots, AI assistants enhanced with RAG, and the move to AI agents.

What are the main topics covered to demystify AI agents?

It covers key criteria for AI agents, agentic patterns for building them, and the technologies needed to connect and secure them.

What background knowledge helps attendees get the most from the session?

Knowledge of a programming language such as Python and foundational Generative AI concepts improves the attendee experience.

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Asher