AI Agents Explained: What They Are and How to Build One in 2026

Dev.to / 5/4/2026

💬 OpinionDeveloper Stack & InfrastructureTools & Practical Usage

Key Points

  • AI agents are described as autonomous entities that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with their environment.
  • The tutorial outlines a build process that starts with defining goals, then selecting a programming language/framework, designing the architecture, and implementing decision-making and learning mechanisms.
  • The article presents core components of an AI agent—perception, reasoning, and action—to structure how agents work.
  • A simple Python example is referenced (implemented with the enlighterjs library), and the full guide promises copy-paste-ready code examples.
  • The full tutorial also claims to include a complete working project (Spring Boot/Java), common mistakes with fixes, and production tips/benchmarks.
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This is a summary of the full tutorial published on howtostartprogramming.in.

TLDR: AI Agents Explained and Building Process AI agents are autonomous entities that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with their environment. To build an AI agent, you need to follow these steps: Define the agent's goals and objectives Choose a programming language and framework Design the agent's architecture Implement the agent's decision-making and learning mechanisms The following table summarizes the key components of an AI agent: Component Description Perception The agent's ability to perceive its environment Reasoning The agent's ability to make decisions and draw conclusions Action The agent's ability to take actions in its environment Here is an example of a simple AI agent implemented in Python using the enlighterjs library: import enlig

📖 Read the Full Tutorial

🔗 AI agents explained what they are and how to build one 2026 — Full Guide with Code Examples

The full article includes:

  • ✅ Step-by-step code examples (copy-paste ready)
  • ✅ Complete working project (Spring Boot / Java)
  • ✅ Common mistakes + fixes
  • ✅ Production tips and benchmarks
  • ✅ FAQ section

Published on How to Start Programming — practical AI and Java tutorials for developers.