Agents 101:
Decoding AI Agents and Agentic Systems

About the Session

The conversation around AI is rapidly shifting from generation to action. We are now in the era of "agentic AI"—systems designed not just to answer questions, but to reason, plan, use tools, and autonomously execute complex workflows. But amidst the hype, what exactly constitutes an AI agent?

Join us for a foundational webinar that cuts through the noise to define the architecture of AI agents and agentic systems. In this "Agents 101" session, we will break down what agents are, what they are genuinely capable of today, and equally importantly, what they are not. We will explore the anatomy of an agent—from memory and planning to tool use—and discuss how this paradigm shift will fundamentally change how we approach complex problem-solving in scientific and technical computing. We will discuss some examples of AI agents and agentic systems from many technology companies, and share resources on how to learn more and get started in creating agents. Whatever your profession, this session will provide the conceptual grounding you need for the agentic future and explain why it is important to your work, organization, and field. 

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