AI is a fascinating field, but one thing that consistently frustrates me is the constant flood of poorly defined terms thrown at the public, often without any regard for clarity. This is especially true when the topic turns to AI agents. In fact, this trend reaches its peak when we talk about agents. While I won’t rehash what an AI agent is (you can find our detailed perspective here), I’ll say this: simply adding tools to your favorite LLM doesn’t automatically make it an "agent." Spoiler alert: it’s more complicated than that.

Today, I want to focus on something arguably more important to you and your business than the precise definition of an "agent": the difference between multiple-agent systems and multi-agent systems. I can already hear the objections: "Aren’t these terms just two ways of saying exactly the same thing?" That’s what many industry leaders would have you believe. But, trust me, the distinction matters.

The Illusion of Innovation: When Multiple Isn’t Enough

Multiple-agent systems aren’t exactly groundbreaking. As LLMs evolve and integrate with more advanced systems like RAGs (retrieval-augmented generation), the next logical step is simply adding action capabilities. For example, your system might be able to modify a file, send an email, or publish a post. Many companies would proudly label this an "agentic" system. It’s like the "personal assistants" we’ve known for years (remember Clippy, the Microsoft Word paperclip? Scary, right?), but smarter. These systems are typically pre-configured—either through low-code setups or by selecting from a catalog of predefined agents (an "agent store"). They handle routine tasks like organizing your calendar or facilitating interactions with apps.

But let’s be clear: while these systems can automate tasks, they don’t fundamentally enhance the core AI’s ability to tackle complex problems.

Why are these systems even called multiple agent systems? It boils down to two reasons. First, you can choose from a variety of agents in a catalog, giving you a multiplicity of options tailored to your needs. Second, these agents can be combined within an existing workflow. For instance, you could configure your agenda agent to communicate with your travel agent to prevent booking a holiday during a crucial board meeting.

However, the overall system’s capability is mainly the sum of its parts. Hopefully not less, but certainly nothing more.

A New Paradigm: How Multi-Agent Systems Rethink Problem Solving

This is where multi-agent systems come in, and where things get truly exciting. While multi-agent systems, like multiple-agent systems, are composed of various agents, the key difference lies in how they work together. In multi-agent systems, you don’t pre-decide how the agents interact. Instead, you provision a single agent to kickstart the process, and it takes it from there.

The first agent might take a high-level goal (e.g., "organize a vacation for me and my family") and dynamically assemble the best team of agents to achieve that goal. It might “wake up” your agenda management agent, your travel booking agent, or even create a web travel review analyzer, depending on what’s needed at the moment. This dynamic approach offers a whole new world of possibilities. No longer do you need to define fixed processes and maintain agents for each step. The ideal process emerges organically, based on the resources and capabilities of the agents available.

The power of multi-agent systems goes far beyond the sum of their parts. By dynamically breaking down complex tasks and allowing specialized agents to collaborate, multi-agent systems offer enhanced adaptability, resilience, and governance—with greater inclusivity for human involvement. Interested? Take a deep breath and dive deeper into our vision here.

The Big Takeaway

Next time someone talks about "multi-agent systems" as the next big revolution, ask yourself: Are we talking about real innovation, or just a slight rebranding of existing tools? This distinction is crucial, and it could make all the difference for your business.

At B12 part of Yuma, we’re passionate about revolutionizing ideas and pushing boundaries. Still not convinced? Challenge our vision. And if you’re starting to see something new emerge from the fog of agent marketing jargon, let's have a conversation.

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