AI Book Club: An Illustrated Guide to AI Agents

AI Builders and Learners SF ​Decembers book is "An Illustrated Guide to AI Agents"! ​This is a casual-style event. Not a structured presentation on topics. Sometimes, the discussion even drifts away from the chapters, but feel free to grab the mic to help steer it back. ​Feel free to join the discussion even if you have not read the book chapters! :) ​Want to discuss the contents during the reading week? Join the Flyte MLOps Slack group. (https://flyte-org.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-47whsaemd-S4KFny5mk0uHCtRF2gU7ig?utm_source=luma#/shared-invite/email) ​------------------------------------------------- About the book: • ​Title: An Illustrated Guide to AI Agents • ​Authors: Maarten Grootendorst, Jay Alammar • ​Published: September 2026 ​O'rielly platform: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/an-illustrated-guide/9798341662681/ (https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/an-illustrated-guide/9798341662681/?utm_source=luma) ​ ​Chapters: 1. ​Introduction 2. ​Large Language Models 3. ​Reasoning Large Language Models 4. ​Memory 5. ​Tool Usage, Learning, and Protocols 6. ​Planning and Reflection 7. ​Evaluating Agents 8. ​8. Multi-Agent Systems 9. ​Multi-Modal Understanding 10. ​Code Agents and Code LLMs ​Book Description ​Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase. AI agents can now reason, plan, and act with increasing independence. From accelerating scientific breakthroughs to supporting creative work, these systems are quickly reshaping industries and everyday life. This book provides the conceptual foundation and practical insights you need to understand—and effectively work with—this emerging technology. ​Through hundreds of clear graphic illustrations, Maarten Grootendorst and Jay Alammar explain how AI agents are built, how they think, and where they're heading. Designed for professionals, students, and curious learners alike, this guide goes beyond the buzz to reveal what's actually happening inside these systems, why it matters, and how to apply the knowledge in real-world contexts. An Illustrated Guide to AI Agents is your essential reference for navigating the next frontier of artificial intelligence.