Microsoft’s multi-agent framework, AutoGen, acts because the spine for a lot of enterprise initiatives, significantly with the discharge of AutoGen v0.4 in January.
Nevertheless, the corporate goals to harmonize all of its agent framework choices and convey extra observability capabilities to the forefront as effectively. Microsoft launched the Agent Framework on public preview, which is able to now primarily be the corporate’s sole orchestration and agent framework.
Microsoft mentioned AutoGen and Semantic Kernel will “stay in upkeep mode, which implies they won’t obtain new function investments however will proceed to obtain bug fixes, safety patches and stability updates.”
“For future-facing work, nevertheless, the roadmap is centered on Microsoft Agent Framework, and prospects ought to plan migration to seize the advantages of open requirements, sturdiness and Azure AI Foundry Integration,” the corporate mentioned in an e mail to VentureBeat.
The corporate assured present workloads on AutoGen or Semantic Kernel will likely be secure as a result of “no breaking modifications are deliberate.”
Microsoft’s transfer to consolidate agent frameworks into one exhibits the corporate’s technique in agentic AI. By intently tying observability and knowledge safety to the framework for constructing brokers, the corporate goals to allow the creation of brokers via post-deployment, multi function place.
Agent Framework and Foundry
The Agent Framework consolidates AI workloads right into a single SDK, combining the capabilities of each Semantic Kernel and AutoGen, permitting customers to construct AI brokers, handle multi-agent deployments, and arrange observability techniques.
Sarah Chook, chief product officer for Accountable AI at Microsoft, advised VentureBeat in an interview that so many builders and companies have been quickly experimenting and adopting AI brokers, however wanted a option to convey plenty of capabilities collectively.
“What’s actually thrilling about what we’re releasing this week is plenty of capabilities to assist folks extra efficiently construct and handle brokers in a manner that, in fact, permits them to be highly effective,” Chook mentioned. “However, one which additionally ensures that they’re reliable by supplying you with the instruments to, you understand, observe their habits and new guardrails to assist them keep on activity.”
The brand new framework gives 5 capabilities for enterprises constructing AI brokers:
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Native experimentation earlier than deployment in Azure AI Foundry
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API integration via OpenAPI and collaboration throughout runtimes with A2A and MCP connections
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Use Magentic One and different orchestration brokers
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Scale back context switching throughout platforms
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Construct multi-agent techniques throughout totally different agent platforms like AI Foundry, M365 Copilot or others
Microsoft can also be including Agent Framework providers, akin to multi-agent workflows, to its cloud-based Foundry Agent Service.
Security, safety and monitoring
Chook mentioned one of many differentiators for Agent Framework lies in its accountable AI options. Microsoft added:
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Activity Adherence, which retains brokers aligned to duties
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PII Detection, which alerts directors if an agent accesses delicate knowledge
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Immediate Shields that assist defend towards immediate injection and spotlight dangerous agent habits.
“For what enterprises want to consider with brokers, I consider, are three vital classes,” Chook mentioned. “Primary is the standard of the agent, does it really work and is it staying and finishing the ask. The second is safety, each conventional safety and new kinds of dangers like immediate injection assaults or leaking delicate knowledge. And the third factor is administration as a result of future organizations may have 1000’s of brokers who may have entry to various things and duties.”
Microsoft will likely be contributing to the OpenTelemetry commonplace for observability. Via AI Foundry, builders with brokers constructed on Agent Framework can monitor high quality, efficiency and price. AI Foundry does supply OpenTelemetry observability to brokers constructed with different frameworks and never simply Agent Framework.
All-in-one agent frameworks
AutoGen competed with different agent builders and multi-agent frameworks from LangChain, CrewAI and LlamaIndex and there’s little doubt Agent Framework would both.
Microsoft shouldn’t be the one one hoping to convey all of the wanted instruments to construct, deploy and monitor AI brokers. LangChain has been constructing in direction of providing these instruments even because it goals in direction of a 1.0 launch. As brokers change into extra ubiquitous at enterprises, extra platforms may look into offering entry to constructing, deployment and observability instruments in a single.
