Devendra Bogati
3 min readOct 23, 2023

AutoGen: A Framework for Building LLM Applications with Multi-Agent Conversations

AutoGen: A Framework for Building LLM Applications with Multi-Agent.

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Large language models (LLMs) have revolutionized natural language processing, but harnessing their power for complex applications can be daunting. Microsoft's AutoGen framework, introduced by their researchers, simplifies the orchestration, optimization, and automation of LLM workflows. This framework allows developers to create LLM applications with multiple conversational agents, making it easier than ever to build next-generation language model applications.

Why AutoGen?

AutoGen offers a host of features and benefits that make it a game-changer for LLM applications:

1. Simplified Workflow: With AutoGen, developers only need to define agents with specialized capabilities and roles, and specify how they interact with each other. This modularity makes agents reusable and composable.

2. Maximized LLM Potential: AutoGen agents can harness the strengths of advanced LLMs, like GPT-4, while mitigating their weaknesses by integrating humans and tools. Agents can collaborate seamlessly via automated chat, seeking assistance when needed.

3. Flexible Conversation Patterns: AutoGen supports diverse conversation patterns, giving developers the freedom to create various conversation structures. Agents can initiate conversations with each other or with humans, work in parallel, or follow sequential interactions.

4. Diverse Applications: AutoGen provides pre-built systems with varying complexities, demonstrating its adaptability across different domains. Applications range from code-based question answering to text summarization and text editing.

5. Enhanced Inference API: AutoGen serves as a drop-in replacement for openai.Completion or openai.ChatCompletion, offering performance tuning, unified APIs, caching, error handling, and advanced usage patterns.

Tutorial: Building a Simple LLM Application with AutoGen

Let's walk through a tutorial on using AutoGen to build a simple LLM application. In this example, we'll create an application that generates jokes based on user input and evaluates them using sentiment analysis. We'll use two agents, the "Joker" and the "Evaluator."

Step 1: Install AutoGen

Begin by installing AutoGen from GitHub or PyPI using `pip install autogen`.

Step 2: Define the Joker Agent

Create a class that inherits from `autogen.Agent` to define the Joker agent. Implement the `__init__` and `reply` methods to set up the agent's configuration and define how it responds to messages.

Step 3: Define the Evaluator Agent

Similarly, create a class for the Evaluator agent that inherits from `autogen.Agent`. Set up the sentiment analysis model and implement the `__init__` and `reply` methods.

Step 4: Define Interaction Behavior

Now, define the interaction behavior between the Joker and the Evaluator by creating a class that inherits from `autogen.Conversation`. Implement the `__init__` and `next_turn` methods to set up the agents and specify how the conversation progresses.

Step 5: Run the Conversation

Create an instance of the conversation class and call its `run` method to start the conversation.

By following these steps, you'll have a simple LLM application that generates jokes and receives feedback for improvement. AutoGen's power lies in its simplicity and flexibility, making it a fantastic tool for creating advanced language model applications.

Let’s create value!!!!

Sources:

https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/docs/Getting-Started/#:~:text=AutoGen%20is%20a%20framework%20that,each%20other%20to%20solve%20tasks.

Devendra Bogati

Let's create value!! I am a passionate IoT, AI, and ML enthusiast who is currently pursuing a B.Tech in Electronic and communication(IoT).