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Building Generative AI Agents

with Vertex AI Agent Builder
Generative AI agents are transforming how businesses interact with customers
and manage internal operations. These intelligent virtual assistants can
understand natural language, respond to complex queries, and execute tasks
with remarkable efficiency. This blog post will guide you through the process
of creating your own AI agent using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Agent Builder.

What Are Generative AI Agents?

Generative AI agents are software entities powered by large language models
(LLMs) that can understand, process, and respond to human language in
contextually relevant ways. Unlike traditional chatbots with rigid, rule-based
responses, generative AI agents can:

Understand nuanced questions and provide comprehensive answers

Maintain context throughout a conversation

Access and utilize external data sources

Execute complex workflows based on user inputs

Adapt their responses based on user feedback

Architecture of a Generative AI Agent

Before diving into the development process, let’s understand the architectural
components of a modern AI agent:

User

User Interface

Agent Framework

Large Language Model Tools & Functions Knowledge Datastores

External Systems

1. User Interface: Where users interact with the agent (website, mobile app,
messaging platform)
 2. Agent Framework: Orchestrates the conversation flow and connects
various components

3. Large Language Model: The AI model that powers understanding and

generation capabilities

4. Tools & Functions: Additional capabilities the agent can use to complete
tasks

5. Knowledge Datastores: External information sources that ground the

agent’s responses

6. External Systems: Third-party services or APIs the agent can integrate

with

Designing Your AI Agent

Before writing a single line of code, it’s crucial to establish a clear vision for
your agent:

Problem Definition Primary Functions Limitations Agent Persona Success Metrics

Ask yourself these key questions:

1. What problem will it solve? Define the main purpose of your agent.

2. What are its primary functions? List the core capabilities needed.

3. What are its limitations? Identify constraints and edge cases.

4. What personality should it have? Define the tone and communication

style.

5. How will you measure success? Establish key performance indicators.

For example, if you’re building a travel agent, your answers might look like:

Problem: Simplify trip planning by helping users discover destinations,

create itineraries, and book accommodations.
 Functions: Answer destination questions, plan customized itineraries,
provide booking assistance.

Limitations: Limited to text responses (no image generation), knowledge

constrained by model training data.

Persona: Knowledgeable, helpful, enthusiastic about travel, clear

communicator.

Success Metrics: User satisfaction with recommendations, successful

bookings, reduced planning time.

Building an AI Agent with Vertex AI Agent

Builder
Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Agent Builder provides a streamlined platform for
creating, testing, and deploying AI agents. Here’s how to build one:
 Create Google Cloud Project

Navigate to Vertex AI Agent Builder

Create a New App

Choose Conversational Agent

Create Agent with Basic Settings

Define Agent Goals & Instructions

Test Agent in Simulator

Attach Knowledge Datastores

Deploy Agent

Step-by-Step Implementation
1. Set up your Google Cloud project with billing enabled
 2. Navigate to Vertex AI Agent Builder and activate the API

3. Create a conversational agent:

Choose “Build your own” agent

Set a display name (e.g., “Travel Buddy”)

Select appropriate region settings

4. Configure your agent:

Define a clear goal (e.g., “Help customers answer travel-related

queries”)

Provide detailed instructions (e.g., “Greet users, then ask how you
can help them today”)

5. Test your agent using the simulator with your chosen LLM (e.g., Gemini
1.5 Flash)

Grounding Your Agent with Knowledge

Datastores
One of the most powerful features of Vertex AI Agent Builder is the ability to
enhance your agent’s knowledge with external data sources:
 AI Agent

User Query

Can answer
from base

knowledge?

Yes No

Direct Response Query Datastore

Retrieve Relevant Information

Grounded Response

Without proper grounding, AI agents can provide incorrect or fabricated

information. Datastores solve this problem by providing:

1. Factual information specific to your business or use case

2. Up-to-date knowledge beyond the model’s training cutoff

3. Authoritative content that reduces hallucinations

Adding a Datastore
1. Create a datastore tool:

Name your tool (e.g., “Alternative Location”)

Provide a clear description of when to use it

2. Select or create a data source:

Upload documents from Cloud Storage

Import web pages

Connect to existing databases

3. Configure grounding settings:

Adjust stringency levels to control how closely the agent adheres to

the datastore content

4. Update agent instructions to include the datastore tool

Datastores in Action
Let’s see how datastores can improve agent responses. If a user asks about a
fictional location like Wakanda, an agent without a datastore might simply say
it doesn’t exist. With a properly configured datastore, it could suggest:

Similar real locations that inspired the fictional place

Alternative travel experiences related to the theme

Other ways to engage with the fictional universe

Deploying Your AI Agent

Once your agent is built and tested, it’s time to deploy it for users:
 Built Agent

Deployment
Options

Website Integration API Access Containerization

Embed in Website Custom Application Cloud Run Service

HTML/JS Snippet REST API Endpoints Docker Container

Website Integration
The simplest deployment method is to integrate your agent directly into your
website:

1. Publish your agent and enable unauthenticated API access (for demo
purposes only)

2. Copy the provided code snippet containing your agent’s configuration

3. Embed the snippet in your website’s HTML

Creating a Web Application

For a more customized experience, you can create a dedicated web application:

from flask import Flask, render_template_string

app = Flask(__name__)

html_template = """
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>AI Travel Agent</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.gstatic.com/dialogflow-console/f
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/dialogflow-console/fast/df-messenger
<style>
df-messenger {
z-index: 999;
position: fixed;
bottom: 16px;
right: 16px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to Your AI Travel Assistant!</h1>
<p>Start planning your next adventure with our AI assistant.</p>

<!-- Agent Integration Code -->

<df-messenger
project-id="YOUR_PROJECT_ID"
agent-id="YOUR_AGENT_ID"
language-code="en">
<df-messenger-chat-bubble
chat-title="Travel Buddy">
 </df-messenger-chat-bubble>
</df-messenger>
</body>
</html>
"""

@app.route("/")
def index():
return render_template_string(html_template)

if __name__ == "__main__":
app.run(debug=True)

Containerization and Cloud Run Deployment

For production-ready deployment, containerizing your application and
hosting it on Cloud Run offers scalability and reliability:

1. Create necessary files:

requirements.txt for Python dependencies

Dockerfile for container configuration

2. Build and deploy:

Build your Docker image with Cloud Build

Deploy to Cloud Run with the appropriate configuration

Future Enhancements and Best Practices

As you continue developing your AI agent, consider these advanced
capabilities:

Basic Agent Multi-turn Conversations Multi-modal Capabilities Multi-agent Collaboration

Best Practices
1. Start simple: Focus on core functionality before adding complex features

2. Test thoroughly: Validate your agent with diverse queries and edge cases

3. Iterate based on feedback: Continuously improve based on user

interactions

4. Monitor performance: Track key metrics and adjust as needed

5. Stay updated: Keep up with the latest Vertex AI capabilities and best
practices

Conclusion
Building generative AI agents with Vertex AI Agent Builder offers a powerful
way to create intelligent, conversational experiences without deep expertise in
machine learning. By carefully designing your agent, grounding it with
relevant knowledge, and deploying it strategically, you can create solutions that
genuinely help users and add value to your business.

The future of AI agents is incredibly promising, with advancements in multi-

modal interactions, reasoning capabilities, and integration possibilities. Start
building your agent today, and you’ll be well-positioned to leverage these
exciting developments as they emerge.

Ready to build your own AI agent? Share your experiences or questions in the
comments below!

Header image: Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

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