Building Your First AI Agent with Python: A Beginner's Guide

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Basic Python knowledge
• Python 3.10+
• An OpenAI API key
• A weather API key (like OpenWeatherMap)
• pip installed

Install the libraries:

Understand the Agent Loop

A simple agent usually follows this pattern:

1. Receive a user request
2. Decide whether a tool is needed
3. Call the tool
4. Use the result to generate a final response

Set Up Your Project

Create a file named agent.py and load your environment variables:

Build the Weather Tool

This function calls OpenWeatherMap and returns a simplified result.

Let the Model Decide When to Use the Tool

We’ll use OpenAI’s API with function calling so the model can request the weather tool.

Conclusion

You just built your first AI agent. Starting with a weather assistant is a great way to learn the workflow without getting overwhelmed. From here, you can expand into more advanced agents with memory and multiple tools.