What are AI agents and why do they matter?

OpenAI's ChatGPT initially had difficulty providing accurate responses to simple math problems. However, by integrating it with external applications like an online calculator, ChatGPT's capabilities significantly improved. Connecting artificial intelligence (AI) ‘brains’ to tools offering ‘bodies’ allowed AI to perform tasks actively, leading to the evolution of large language models (LLMs) into AI agents that can execute complex tasks with limited supervision. These AI agents, powered by LLMs, can perform higher-level tasks such as generating software development plans or engaging with users on platforms like Reddit. AI agents range from simple to complex, displaying capabilities for decision-making, planning, and adapting to new information in real time. As the field evolves, more types of AI agents are expected to emerge, bringing challenges to debugging and evaluation frameworks. The article mentions the potential of AI agents in revolutionising software development, enabling developers to focus on high-value activities instead of repetitive, administrative tasks. In the future, multi-agent systems, such as GitHub's Copilot Workspace, are set to provide complex problem-solving capabilities and make developers' workflows more efficient.