In the second part of the series on building AI agents with Strands, the focus is on integrating tools to enhance agent capabilities.
Tools play a crucial role in transforming a basic conversational agent into a highly functional assistant that can interact with the world.
The tutorial covers the integration of built-in tools from the Strands SDK and creating custom tools using the @tool decorator.
Tools allow agents to access external data, perform calculations, manage content, and connect to external services via APIs.
Built-in tools like current_time and http_request are demonstrated in action to provide accurate and timely information in response to user queries.
Creating custom tools, such as a glossary management tool for computer science terms, is highlighted for tailored functionality.
The article emphasizes the importance of secure tool design principles when building AI systems that interact with external resources.
An example of a subject expert agent is presented, utilizing both built-in and custom tools like calculator and file operations for an enhanced learning experience.
The tutorial also touches upon direct tool invocation from code and outlines security considerations for tool design to ensure safe and efficient functionality.
Overall, the article guides readers on integrating tools effectively into AI agents, showcasing the diverse capabilities and potential enhancements they bring to the system.