AI Agents with Java

Chapter 1. From AI Features to Autonomous Agents

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Adding a large language model (LLM) call to a Java service is one thing. Letting that model choose the next operation, inspect the result, and keep working toward a goal changes what the application must control. You still own the details like the service contracts, state, and failure handling, but you no longer specify every step in advance.

We start by introducing the architecture behind that conceptual change. We will connect agents to familiar Java components, compare the levels of autonomy a task may need, and examine how planning, reasoning, memory, and reflection work in concrete design patterns. By the end, you should be able to judge where an agent fits in an existing system and which boundaries you need before giving it work to do.

Introduction to AI Agents with Java

In software engineering, definitions provide the structure in which systems can be reasoned about, tested, and maintained. The term AI agent appears frequently in marketing ...