Agents in the Wild: Building AI That Actually Does Things
Waterloo, ON
Friday,
Mar 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM
- 4:00 PM EDT
{
"name":"Agents in the Wild: Building AI That Actually Does Things",
"description": "https:\/\/ticketfi.com\/event\/6918\/agents-in-the-wild-building-ai-that-actually-does-things\n\nJoin us on March 20th for a hands-on workshop introducing the core engineering patterns behind modern AI agents\n\nLarge language models have dramatically improved AI’s ability to generate text and code, but the most important developments now lie in turning models into systems. Modern AI agents extend language models with tool use, memory, and reasoning loops, allowing them to interact with APIs, operate software, and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. This shift—from models that generate answers to systems that take actions—is rapidly reshaping how AI systems are being engineered.\n\nThis workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the core engineering patterns behind AI agents. Participants will build a working agent and explore the architectural components that enable tool use, reasoning loops, persistent memory, and safety guardrails. By the end of the session, attendees will have a concrete understanding of how modern agent systems are constructed and why this emerging paradigm is quickly becoming central to both AI research and software engineering practice.\n\n ",
"startDate":"2026-03-20",
"endDate":"2026-03-20",
"startTime":"13:00",
"endTime":"16:00",
"location":"EIT 3142 - ",
"label":"Add to Calendar",
"options":[
"Apple",
"Google",
"iCal",
"Microsoft365",
"Outlook.com",
"Yahoo"
],
"timeZone":"US/Eastern",
"trigger":"click",
"inline":true,
"listStyle":"modal",
"iCalFileName":"invite.ics"
}
Event Details
Join us on March 20th for a hands-on workshop introducing the core engineering patterns behind modern AI agents
Large language models have dramatically improved AI’s ability to generate text and code, but the most important developments now lie in turning models into systems. Modern AI agents extend language models with tool use, memory, and reasoning loops, allowing them to interact with APIs, operate software, and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. This shift—from models that generate answers to systems that take actions—is rapidly reshaping how AI systems are being engineered.
This workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the core engineering patterns behind AI agents. Participants will build a working agent and explore the architectural components that enable tool use, reasoning loops, persistent memory, and safety guardrails. By the end of the session, attendees will have a concrete understanding of how modern agent systems are constructed and why this emerging paradigm is quickly becoming central to both AI research and software engineering practice.
Speakers
4th-year student in Computer Science
University of Waterloo
Location
EIT 3142
200 UNIVERSITY AVE W Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
Tickets
Type |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Agents in the Wild: |
Free |
Organizer Details
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is Waterloo’s largest academic department, with over 2,500 students, 93 full-time faculty members and 50 support staff. In addition to offering undergraduate and graduate programs in electrical engineering and computer engineering, ECE provides academic expertise and support to Waterloo’s multidisciplinary mechatronics, nanotechnology, and software engineering programs.
Our research activities cover a wide range of fields, from high-voltage engineering and sustainable energy to breakthroughs in wireless technology that will enhance communications across our global society. Our faculty members and students are creating low-cost digital x-ray imagers to combat tuberculosis in developing countries, and building real-time embedded systems that will advance the design and reliability of consumer and industrial products.
