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The Anatomy of an AI Agent
Most people are still chatting with AI. The ones getting ahead are putting it to work. In this video masterclass, Dan Fitzpatrick takes an AI agent apart piece by piece, so you know exactly what a good one is made of and can design your own, safely.
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The Anatomy of an AI Agent
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A chatbot answers. An agent gets the job done.
Stop prompting. Start delegating.
Every time you open an AI tool, type a request and wait, you are the one doing the work of remembering, starting and checking. An AI agent takes that off your plate. You give it a goal, it decides what to do, acts using your apps, checks its own work and adapts. Then it does it again tomorrow without being asked.
The catch is that a badly designed agent drifts, stalls or causes trouble. This masterclass gives you a simple, repeatable way to get the design right.
What you'll learn
- The real difference between chatbots, automations and agentsOnce you can see it, you will know which job needs which.
- The five-step loop every agent runsGoal, decide, act, check, adapt, and why the last two are where most agents fail.
- The AGENTS frameworkSix parts to get right every time: Aim, Guidance, Expertise, Networks, Triggers and Safeguards.
- A live build: a daily briefing at 8amWatch an agent that reads your world and sends you what matters before the day starts. The same design works in ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot.
- Chief-of-staff and watcher agentsTwo patterns that save hours: one that prepares and organises, one that keeps watch and tells you when something changes.
- How to keep agents safeOversight, privacy and the limits to set before an agent touches your apps and data.
- Your first stepStart with one agent and one small job, and leave with something specific to build.
The six parts of an AI agent
Every useful agent has the same anatomy. Get one part wrong and it drifts, stalls or causes trouble. Get them right and it does real work while you get on with yours.
- AimWhat the agent is for, and what done looks like.
- GuidanceThe instructions and context that shape how it works.
- ExpertiseThe knowledge and skills you give it to draw on.
- NetworksThe connected apps, tools and data it can reach.
- TriggersWhat sets it working: a time, an event or a request.
- SafeguardsThe limits, checks and human oversight that keep it safe.
A look at the slides
You get the full deck as a PDF to keep, share with your team and refer back to when you build.
Who it's for
Educators
Teachers, school and college leaders, and anyone leading AI across a trust, district or system.
Business professionals
Leaders and teams who want AI doing real work in their organisation, safely and on purpose.
Your host
Dan Fitzpatrick is The AI Educator: a Forbes contributor, bestselling author and international keynote speaker. He has trained more than 150,000 educators in over 30 countries and advises schools and government bodies on how to lead well with AI. More about Dan
Frequently asked questions
What is The Anatomy of an AI Agent?
It is an instant-access video masterclass of around 40 minutes with Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator. It takes an AI agent apart piece by piece, using the AGENTS framework (Aim, Guidance, Expertise, Networks, Triggers and Safeguards), so you understand what a good agent is made of and how to design one safely.
What is the difference between a chatbot, an automation and an AI agent?
A chatbot waits for you to ask something and answers. An automation follows fixed steps you set in advance. An AI agent is given a goal, decides what to do, acts using your tools and apps, checks its own work and adapts. The masterclass shows each side by side so the difference is clear.
What is the AGENTS framework?
It is a six-part checklist for designing an AI agent: Aim (what it is for and what done looks like), Guidance (the instructions and context that shape how it works), Expertise (the skills and knowledge it draws on), Networks (the apps and data it can reach), Triggers (what sets it working: a schedule, an event or a request) and Safeguards (the limits, checks and human oversight that keep it safe).
Do I need to be technical or able to code?
No. Everything is explained in plain English and there is no code. If you can write a clear instruction for a colleague, you can design an agent.
Is it for educators or for business?
Both. Teachers, school and college leaders and trust or district leads will find examples they can use straight away, and so will business leaders and teams who want AI doing real work safely. The framework is the same in either setting.
Which AI tools does it use?
The live demo builds a daily briefing that arrives at 8am using Gemini Spark. The same design works in ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot, because the AGENTS framework describes the agent rather than the product. Some tools are not yet available in every region, including the UK and EU, and the principles still apply.
How do I get access?
Enter your name, email address, country and whether you are an educator or a business professional. You get instant access to the video and the slides on this page.
What do I get?
The full video masterclass and the slides from the session as a PDF to download and keep.
Is it free?
Yes. Access costs nothing. In return, you will be subscribed to The AI Educator newsletter, which is sent every Sunday.
What is the Sunday AI Educator newsletter?
A weekly email from Dan Fitzpatrick with practical AI ideas, tools and news for educators and professionals. You can unsubscribe from any email with one click.
Does it cover safety, privacy and oversight?
Yes. Safeguards are one of the six parts of the framework, and the session covers how to set limits, keep a human in the loop, and think about privacy before you give an agent access to your apps and data.
Where should I start if I have never built an agent?
Start with one agent and one small job. The masterclass finishes with a first step you can take today, so you leave with something specific to build rather than a list of ideas.
Who is Dan Fitzpatrick?
Dan Fitzpatrick is The AI Educator: a Forbes contributor, bestselling author and international keynote speaker. He has trained more than 150,000 educators in over 30 countries and advises schools and government bodies on leading well with AI.
Ready to put AI to work?
Learn the anatomy of an AI agent in under an hour, and leave with a clear first step.
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