Conversational AI systems are applications that can interact with users using natural language, such as chatbots, voice assistants, and smart speakers. These systems can provide various services, such as answering questions, booking appointments, ordering products, and more. However, developing conversational AI systems is not an easy task. It requires a lot of effort and expertise to design, implement, and optimize a workflow that can leverage the full potential of large language models (LLMs).
LLMs are neural networks that can generate natural language texts based on a given input, such as a prompt, a query, or a context. LLMs have shown impressive performance in various natural language processing tasks, such as text summarization, machine translation, text generation, and more. However, LLMs also have some limitations, such as:
- They may generate inaccurate, irrelevant, or inappropriate texts that do not match the user’s intent or expectation.
- They may not be able to handle complex tasks that require multiple steps, reasoning, or external knowledge.
- They may not be able to explain their outputs or provide feedback to the user.
To address these challenges, Microsoft has developed and released AutoGen¹, a framework that simplifies the orchestration, automation, and optimization of LLM workflows. AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations between customizable and conversable agents that can leverage the strongest capabilities of the most advanced LLMs, such as GPT-4², while addressing their limitations by integrating with humans and tools.
AutoGen agents are modular and reusable components that can perform specific roles and tasks in a conversational AI system. For example, an agent can be an LLM that generates texts, a human that provides inputs or feedbacks, a tool that executes code or queries databases, or a combination of them. AutoGen agents can communicate with each other using natural language messages via automated chat. This way, they can collaborate to solve complex tasks that require multiple steps, reasoning, or external knowledge.
AutoGen supports diverse conversation patterns between agents, such as:
- Conversation autonomy: Agents can operate in various modes that employ combinations of LLMs, human inputs, and tools. For example, an agent can use an LLM by default but switch to human input or tool execution when needed.
- Number of agents: Agents can form groups of different sizes to handle different tasks. For example, a group of two agents can handle simple tasks while a group of four agents can handle complex tasks.
- Agent conversation topology: Agents can interact with each other in different ways to achieve different goals. For example, agents can have one-to-one conversations to exchange information or one-to-many conversations to coordinate actions.
AutoGen also provides a collection of working systems with varying levels of complexity that span a wide range of applications from various domains. These systems demonstrate the tool’s adaptability and wide-ranging potential. Some examples of these systems are:
- Code-based question answering: A system that can answer questions related to code snippets using multiple agents that write code, interpret results, ensure safety, and execute code.
- Text summarization: A system that can generate summaries for long texts using multiple agents that extract key points, paraphrase sentences, check grammar and spelling, and provide feedback.
- Image captioning: A system that can generate captions for images using multiple agents that analyze images, generate texts, ensure relevance and appropriateness, and provide feedback.
AutoGen is a groundbreaking tool that opens up new possibilities for developers and researchers in the field of artificial intelligence. It offers a level of customization and interaction that is not commonly found in other frameworks. It also enables complex LLM-based workflows with minimal effort and coding. AutoGen is now available on Github³, where users can find more information on how to use it and explore its features.
Source Reference
¹: AutoGen: Enabling next-generation large language model applications
²: GPT-4
³: AutoGen Github Repository