On the coronary heart of Microsoft’s AI software improvement technique is Semantic Kernel, an open supply set of instruments for managing and orchestrating AI prompts. Since its launch as a option to simplify constructing retrieval-augmented technology (RAG) purposes, it has grown right into a framework for constructing and managing agentic AI.
At Ignite in 2024, Microsoft introduced a number of new options for Semantic Kernel, positioning it as its most popular software for constructing large-scale agentic AI purposes. That announcement shaped the idea of Semantic Kernel’s 2025 highway map, with the primary parts already being delivered.
Constructing agentic workflows with Agent Framework
One of many extra necessary new options in Semantic Kernel is Agent Framework, which is able to quickly transfer out of preview into common availability. This may guarantee a steady, supported set of instruments able to ship production-grade enterprise AI purposes. The Agent Framework will type the idea of Semantic Kernel’s deliberate integration with Microsoft Analysis’s AutoGen, together with the discharge of a typical runtime for brokers that’s constructed utilizing each platforms.
The Agent Framework is meant to assist construct purposes round agent-like patterns, providing a method so as to add autonomy to purposes and to ship what Microsoft calls “goal-oriented purposes.” This can be a good definition of what fashionable agentic AI needs to be: a method of utilizing AI instruments to assemble and handle a workflow based mostly on a person request. It then permits a number of brokers to collaborate, sharing information and managing what may be regarded as lengthy transactions that work throughout many alternative software APIs and endpoints.
Obtainable as an extension to the bottom Semantic Kernel, the Agent Framework is delivered as a set of .NET libraries, which assist handle human/agent interactions and supply entry to OpenAI’s Assistant API. It’s meant to be managed by way of dialog, although it’s simple sufficient to construct and run brokers that reply to system occasions quite than direct human actions (and so as to add human approval steps as a part of a dynamic workflow). This allows you to deal with utilizing brokers to handle duties.
Semantic Kernel’s agent options are designed to increase the ideas and instruments used to construct RAG-powered AI workflows. As all the time, Semantic Kernel is how each the general orchestration and particular person brokers run, managing context and state in addition to dealing with calls to AI endpoints by way of Azure AI Foundry and related companies.
Constructing a Semantic Kernel agent requires an Agent class earlier than utilizing an Agent Chat to help interactions between your agent workflow and the AI and API endpoints used to finish the present job. If a number of brokers should be referred to as, you should utilize an Agent Group Chat to handle these inner prompts through the use of Semantic Kernel to work together and move outcomes between one another. An Agent Group Chat may be dynamic, including and eradicating participant brokers as wanted.
You’re in a position to construct on present Semantic Kernel methods, too. For instance, brokers can use present or new plug-ins in addition to name features. Working with exterior purposes is essential to constructing enterprise brokers, as they want to have the ability to dynamically generate workflows round each people and software program.
Having Semantic Kernel handle brokers ensures you possibly can handle each directions and prompts for the giant language mannequin (LLM) you’re utilizing, in addition to management entry to the APIs. Your code can handle authorization as crucial and add plug-in objects. Your plug-ins will handle API calls, with the agent setting up queries by parsing person inputs.
No-code agent improvement with AutoGen
Semantic Kernel’s integration with AutoGen builds on its Course of Framework. That is designed to handle long-running enterprise processes and works with distributed software frameworks reminiscent of Dapr and Orleans. Workflows are event-driven, with steps constructed round Semantic Kernel Features. A course of isn’t an agent, because it’s an outlined workflow and there’s no self-orchestration. Nonetheless, a step can include an agent if it has well-defined inputs and outputs. Processes can reap the benefits of widespread patterns, and there’s no cause to have features function sequentially—they’ll run asynchronously in parallel, permitting you to have flows that fan out or that depend upon a number of inputs.
The 2 platforms converge of their use of Orleans, which ensures they’ve related approaches to working in event-driven environments. This is a crucial basis, as Orleans’ transfer from being a Microsoft Analysis undertaking to being the foundational distributed computing structure for contemporary .NET has been key to wider uptake.
Utilizing AutoGen as a part of its agent tooling will assist ship higher help for multi-agent operations in Semantic Kernel. Because it’s been a analysis undertaking, there’s nonetheless some work essential to convey the 2 platforms collectively, with AutoGen supporting each .NET and Python, very like Semantic Kernel.
Definitely AutoGen simplifies the method of constructing brokers, with a no-code GUI and help for a wide range of completely different LLMs reminiscent of OpenAI (and Azure OpenAI). There’s additionally help for Ollama, Azure Foundry-hosted fashions, Gemini, and a Semantic Kernel adapter that permits you to use Sematic Kernel’s mannequin shoppers.
Getting began with AutoGen requires the core AutoGen software and a mannequin consumer. As soon as put in, you possibly can construct a easy agent with a handful of strains of code. Issues get fascinating if you construct a multi-agent software or, as AutoGen calls it, a staff. Groups are introduced collectively in a bunch chat the place customers give brokers duties. It comes with prebuilt brokers that can be utilized as constructing blocks, reminiscent of a person proxy, an internet surfer, or an assistant.
You possibly can shortly add your individual extensions to customise actions inside the AutoGen layered framework. This offers particular roles for parts of an agent, beginning with the core API that gives instruments for occasion dealing with and messaging, supplying you with an asynchronous hub for agent operations. Above that’s the AgentChat API. That is designed that will help you shortly construct brokers utilizing prebuilt parts and your individual code, in addition to instruments for dealing with directions and prompts. Lastly, the Extensions API is the place you possibly can add help for each new LLMs and your individual code.
A lot of the documentation focuses on Python. Though there’s a .NET implementation of AutoGen, it’s lacking documentation for key options reminiscent of AgentChat. Even so, .NET is probably going one of the best software to construct brokers that run throughout distributed programs, utilizing its help for .NET Aspire and, by that, frameworks like Dapr.
Constructing multi-agent groups in AutoGen Studio
AutoGen Studio is maybe probably the most fascinating half and would work effectively as a part of the Semantic Kernel Visible Studio Code extension. It installs as an area net software and offers a spot to assemble groups of brokers and extensions, with the purpose of setting up a multi-agent software without having to jot down any further code (although you should utilize it to edit generated-configuration JSON). It builds on prime of AutoGen’s AgentChat service.
Functions are constructed by dragging parts onto the Studio canvas and including termination situations. This final possibility is necessary: That is how an agent “is aware of” it has accomplished a job and must ship outcomes to both a person or a calling perform. Brokers may be additional configured by including fashions and extensions, for instance, utilizing an extension to ship a RAG question in opposition to enterprise information. A number of mannequin help helps you select an acceptable AI mannequin for an agent, maybe one which’s been fine-tuned or that provides multi-model actions so you possibly can work with photographs and audio in addition to textual content prompts. Nodes in a staff may be edited so as to add parameters the place crucial.
Underneath the hood, AutoGen is a declarative agent improvement surroundings, with JSON description of the varied parts that go into making an agent. You possibly can swap to a JSON view to make adjustments and even convert AutoGen AgentChat Python to JSON and edit it in Studio. To simplify constructing new purposes, it presents a gallery the place brokers and different parts may be shared with different customers. When you’ve constructed an agent, you possibly can consider it inside Studio’s playground earlier than constructing it into a bigger course of.
Utilizing declarative programming methods to construct agent groups is sensible; typically the data wanted to assemble parts of a workflow or enterprise course of is embedded within the course of itself as data passes from employee to employee. If we’re to construct AI-based brokers to automate parts of these processes, who higher to design these duties than the individuals who know precisely what must be completed?
There’s so much but to come back for Semantic Kernel in 2025. Now that we’re popping out of the experimental part of enterprise AI the place we used chatbots to discover ways to construct efficient prompts, it’s time to make use of these classes to construct workflow instruments extra suited to the multi-channel, multi-event processes that type the spine of our companies. Semantic Kernel is beginning to step out into the enterprise IT world. It’ll be fascinating to look at the way it and AutoGen reap the benefits of the abilities and data that exist throughout our organizations, past IT and improvement groups.
