Getting Started with AI Agents in 2026

AI agents are autonomous systems that can reason, plan, and execute tasks on behalf of users. Unlike simple chatbots, agents can break down complex goals into steps, use tools, and adapt their approach based on results.

In this guide, we'll walk through building a simple AI agent using LangChain and GPT-4. By the end, you'll have a working agent that can search the web, analyze results, and provide comprehensive answers to questions.

The key components of an AI agent include: a language model for reasoning, tools for taking actions, memory for maintaining context, and a planning framework for breaking down tasks.

We recommend starting with a simple use case—perhaps an agent that can answer questions about your documentation by searching through your files and synthesizing information from multiple sources.

As you become more comfortable, you can add more sophisticated capabilities like multi-agent collaboration, long-term memory, and complex tool chains.