I recently completed the Google x Kaggle 5-Day AI Agents Intensive. It was one of the most eye-opening learning experiences I’ve had this year. I joined because I kept hearing about “agentic AI,” but I wanted a simple, hands-on explanation of how agents actually work.
This course made everything feel clear and approachable.
What I Learned About AI Agents
Before the course, I mostly thought of AI agents as smart chatbots with tool calls. After the sessions, I realized they are structured problem-solvers with planning, reasoning, tools, memory, and decision-making.
These were my favorite concepts:
- Agents think in steps, not just responses.
The idea that an agent can break down a task, plan actions, and adjust based on feedback changed how I see AI workflow design.
- Tools make agents powerful.
Seeing how an agent calls functions and APIs helped me understand why agents are becoming so important. They don’t just talk; they take action.
- Multi-agent collaboration isn’t as hard as it sounds.
I always assumed multi-agent systems were complicated. But the course explained simple patterns where agents handle different tasks and work together. It suddenly felt practical and achievable.
How the Course Changed My Understanding
This intensive helped me shift from:
“Agents are advanced features” to “Agents are a better way to design intelligent workflows.”
Now I think of agents as:
- A flexible alternative to fixed pipelines
- Ways to automate reasoning and tools
- Systems that can adapt, react, and improve
The best part was realizing it’s not about building something huge. Even simple agents can solve real problems.
Running the small examples gave me clarity on how agentic systems actually behave.
My Small Capstone
For my capstone, I experimented with a simple agent that takes user input and performs a short sequence of tasks using tool functions. Even a basic project made me appreciate how planning and tools come together to create a smooth, autonomous workflow.
It reinforced that I can start small and build up.
My Biggest Takeaway
Agents help us automate thinking steps, not just final answers. That’s what makes them so powerful.
Just like how APIs changed app development, I believe agentic systems will transform how we build intelligent features and workflows. This course helped me understand those foundations in a straightforward way.
I’m glad I joined the intensive. The explanations, examples, and hands-on code made agent concepts easy to grasp. I feel more confident experimenting with my own ideas now.
If you’re curious about AI agents, this course is definitely worth it.
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