Microsoft Agent Framework

Microsoft Agent Framework is an open-source development kit for building AI agents and multi-agent workflows for .NET and Python. It brings together and extends ideas from Semantic Kernel and AutoGen projects, combining their strengths while adding new capabilities. Built by the same teams, it is the unified foundation for building AI agents going forward. Agent Framework offers two primary categories of capabilities: AI agents : Individual agents that use LLMs to process user inputs, call tools and MCP servers to perform actions, and generate responses. Agents support model providers including Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, and Azure AI. Workflows : Graph-based workflows that connect multiple agents and functions to perform complex, multi-step tasks. Workflows support type-based routing, nesting, checkpointing, and request/response patterns for human-in-the-loop scenarios. The framework also provides foundational building blocks, including model clients (chat completions and responses), an agent thread for state management, context providers for agent memory, middleware for intercepting agent actions, and MCP clients for tool integration. Together, these components give you the flexibility and power to build interactive, robust, and safe AI applications. Why another agent framework? Semantic Kernel and AutoGen pioneered the concepts of AI agents and multi-agent orchestration. The Agent Framework is the direct successor, created by the same teams. It combines AutoGen's simple abstractions for single- and multi-agent patterns with Semantic Kernel's enterprise-grade features such as thread-based state management, type safety, filters, telemetry, and extensive model and embedding support. Beyond merging the two, Agent Framework introduces workflows that give developers explicit control over multi-agent execution paths, plus a robust state management system for long-running and human-in-the-loop scenarios. In short, Agent Framework is the next generation of both Semantic Kernel and AutoGen. To learn more about migrating from either Semantic Kernel or AutoGen, see the Migration Guide from Semantic Kernel and Migration Guide from AutoGen . Both Semantic Kernel and AutoGen have benefited significantly from the open-source community, and the same is expected for Agent Framework. Microsoft Agent Framework welcomes contributions and will keep improving with new features and capabilities. Note Microsoft Agent Framework is currently in public preview. Please submit any feedback or issues on the GitHub repository . Important If you use Microsoft Agent Framework to build applications that operate with third-party servers or agents, you do so at your own risk. We recommend reviewing all data being shared with third-party servers or agents and being cognizant of third-party practices for retention and location of data. It is your responsibility to manage whether your data will flow outside of your organization's Azure compliance and geographic boundaries and any related implications. Installation Python: pip install agent-framework --pre .NET: dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI AI Agents What is an AI agent? An AI agent uses an LLM to process user inputs, make decisions, call tools and MCP servers to perform actions, and generate responses. The following diagram illustrates the core components and their interactions in an AI agent: An AI agent can also be augmented with additional components such as a thread , a context provider...

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