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Nov 13
22m 45s

#132 Understand AI Agents in 20 Minutes

PATRICIA REINERS
About this episode

AI Agents are reshaping how we interact with technology — from simple assistants to fully autonomous systems that think and act on their own.
In this episode, Patricia breaks down what AI agents really are, how they differ from chatbots, what goes into building them, and why designers should start experimenting now.

Whether you’re new to the concept or already knee-deep in agentic design, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how these systems work and how to design for them.


🧠 Key takeaways

  1. Agents decide and act — they’re more than reactive chatbots.
  2. The six layers: model, tools, memory, audio, guardrails, orchestration.
  3. Start simple, build first, optimize later.
  4. Clear instructions matter more than fancy models.
  5. Designers are now shaping systems of behavior, not just interfaces.
  6. “Context engineering” is the next big UX skill for AI design.


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