AI Agent Basics: Let’s Think Step By Step - by Jon Stokes

An introduction to the concepts behind AgentGPT, BabyAGI, LangChain, and the LLM-powered agent revolution.

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About AI Agent Basics: Let’s Think Step By Step - by Jon Stokes

This is a newsletter post by Jon Stokes, dated April 21, 2023, that introduces the concepts behind LLM-powered AI agents. It discusses projects such as AgentGPT, BabyAGI, and LangChain. The post explains the basic idea: a user types a text prompt describing an end goal, and an AI works toward it with as little further input as possible. It defines an agent as something with at least one goal, the ability to observe its environment, and the ability to form a plan of action. The author argues that the current interest in agents resembles an early hype cycle and that agents are a long way from being truly usable in production. The excerpt ends partway through the definition of agent qualities. The publication is reader-supported, and the author invites readers to subscribe.

Key features

  • Plain-language explanation of how LLM-powered agents take a text prompt and pursue a goal
  • Comparison of agents with text-to-image generators such as DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion
  • Overview of core agent qualities: goals, observing the environment, and forming plans
  • Discussion of agent examples including BabyAGI and recent publicized demonstrations
Best for: Readers new to LLM-powered AI agents who want a conceptual overview rather than hands-on instructions.
Good for
  • Explains the core concepts in plain language for a general audience
  • Gives a skeptical view of current agent claims alongside the concepts
Watch out for
  • The author states that agents are a long way from being truly usable in production
  • The excerpt ends mid-sentence, so the full definition of agent qualities is not shown

AI Agent Basics: Let’s Think Step By Step - by Jon Stokes at a glance

Type
Online tool
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Platforms
Web
Open source
Not stated
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026

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AI Agent Basics: Let’s Think Step By Step - by Jon Stokes FAQ

How does the post describe an LLM-powered agent?
The post says the user types a text prompt describing an end goal, and an AI then works toward that goal with as little further input from the user as possible.
Does the author say agents are ready for everyday production use?
No. The author says the current agent interest is similar to cryptomania and that agents are a long way from being truly usable in production.
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