AI agents are everywhere. But what actually makes something an AI agent? And when is an agent genuinely useful instead of unnecessarily complicated?

In this 3.5-hour hands-on virtual workshop, you’ll use practical research examples to explore how chatbots, workflows, and AI agents differ, then progressively build a simple research assistant in Google Colab.

Rather than focusing on a particular framework or vendor, you’ll learn the fundamental concepts behind modern AI systems and how to decide which approach is right for the problem you’re trying to solve.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between chatbots, workflows, and AI agents
• Understand how tools extend AI capabilities
• Build a simple tool-using AI system
• Use document retrieval to ground AI responses
• Recognize where verification and human oversight are needed
• Identify research and administrative problems where agents add value

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