UPDATED 18:26 EST / NOVEMBER 20 2024

AI

Google Cloud introduces AI agent ecosystem program

Google LLC today introduced a new ecosystem program designed to help partners build artificial intelligence agents on its cloud platform.

The company will also help partners sell the agents they develop. To that end, it’s adding a new product section to the Google Cloud Marketplace. 

AI agents are large language models customized to perform a specific set of tasks. Developers can turn an LLM into an agent by giving it access to a dataset, such as a list of product descriptions, and configuring the model to incorporate the information into its output. Some agents are also equipped with system prompts that customize details such as the style of prompt responses.

According to Google Cloud, its new ecosystem program will make it easier for partners to build AI agents on its platform. Companies that sign up will receive access to technical guidance from the search giant’s product and engineering teams. Google staffers can, for example, provide pointers on how to optimize an AI agent’s performance.

The company also plans to offer other technical resources. Google Cloud says that partners will receive dedicated support, best practices and early access to new AI technologies. That last perk could help participants more quickly develop products that incorporate the cloud platform’s latest features. 

The new ecosystem program also has a go-to-market component. Google will provide “go-to-market programs and co-selling opportunities,” Kevin Ichhpurani, the president of Google Cloud’s global partner organization, detailed today. Marketing support will be provided in the form of promotional blog posts, events and related resources.

Google Cloud is also updating Google Cloud Marketplace as part of the initiative. A newly added section called AI Agent Space now showcases relevant AI products from partners.

On launch, AI Agent Space includes more than a dozen offerings. One listing is from Typeface Inc., a venture-backed startup with an AI platform for creating marketing materials. It offers an agent that analyzes customer feedback and past campaigns to find ways of improving a company’s promotions.

Analytics provider ThoughtSpot Inc., meanwhile, offers a tool called Spotter. It’s an AI agent that debuted earlier this month and promises to help the company’s customers more quickly scan their business data for useful patterns. Spotter makes it possible to run analyses using natural language prompts. 

“AI Agent Space is available today with solutions from select partners, and we plan to add hundreds of additional AI agents over the coming months,” Ichhpurani detailed.

AI agents are also a major focus for Google rival Microsoft Corp. at the Ignite developer event it’s hosting this week. On Monday, a Microsoft executive stated that the company has the “largest enterprise AI agent ecosystem.” More than 100,000 organizations have used the tech giant’s Copilot Studio service to create or edit AI agents.

Microsoft debuted several new features for Copilot Studio at Ignite. Most notably, customers can now create agents using the more than 1,800 prepackaged LLMs available in Azure. Microsoft also added enhancements that will make it easier for agents to incorporate data from external sources into their prompt responses.

Google Cloud offers its own tool for creating AI agents. Vertex AI Agent Builder debuted in April and enables users to create agents with either code or natural language instructions. 

Image: Google

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