====== AutoGen ======

**AutoGen** is an open-source multi-agent framework originally developed by Microsoft Research for building applications where multiple AI agents converse, collaborate, and execute code together. In 2025, AutoGen underwent a significant evolution — rebranding as the **Microsoft Agent Framework** (also known as **AG2**) — with version 0.4 introducing asynchronous messaging, modular extensibility, and distributed scalability.

The framework has over 20,000 active builders and remains one of the most widely used platforms for multi-agent AI development.

===== History and Rebrand =====

AutoGen was initially released by Microsoft Research as a framework for multi-agent conversations. The original design featured two layers: a low-level ''autogen-core'' with ''RoutedAgent'' and message handlers, and a high-level ''Team'' API with patterns like ''RoundRobinGroupChat''. Community feedback indicated that the low-level API was overly complex while the high-level API was too restrictive.

In January 2025, AutoGen v0.4 was released, and the project was rebranded to **AG2** and later integrated into the **Microsoft Agent Framework**. This migration unified the architecture around Workflow and Magentic builders, simplifying development while retaining power.

===== Key Features =====

**Multi-Agent Conversations**: Support for two-agent chats, group chats with dynamic speaker selection, sequential and nested conversations, and sophisticated message routing.

**Code Execution**: Integrated code execution capabilities through the extensions API, allowing agents to write, run, and debug code autonomously.

**Group Chat**: Dynamic coordination with group chat managers, termination conditions, and support for specialized roles (critic, executor, planner).

**Human-in-the-Loop**: Built-in support for stall handling, plan review, and approval requests, enabling human oversight at critical decision points.

**Observability**: OpenTelemetry integration for tracing, metrics, and debugging across agent workflows.

**AutoGen Studio / AG2 Studio**: A UI-based interface for visually building and testing multi-agent workflows without extensive code.

===== Architecture =====

The Microsoft Agent Framework uses a layered architecture:

  * **Core API** — Event-driven message passing with ''RoutedAgent'', supporting both local and distributed runtimes
  * **AgentChat API** — High-level multi-agent patterns built on Core (teams, chats, group coordination)
  * **Extensions API** — LLM clients (OpenAI, Azure), code execution, and community tools
  * **Workflow Builders** — ''MagenticBuilder'' for orchestrated multi-agent teams and ''WorkflowBuilder'' for edge-based execution graphs

===== Code Example =====

<code python>
from autogen import AssistantAgent, UserProxyAgent

config_list = [{"model": "gpt-4o", "api_key": "your-key"}]

assistant = AssistantAgent(
    name="assistant",
    llm_config={"config_list": config_list}
)

user_proxy = UserProxyAgent(
    name="user_proxy",
    human_input_mode="TERMINATE",
    code_execution_config={"work_dir": "coding", "use_docker": False}
)

user_proxy.initiate_chat(
    assistant,
    message="Write a Python function to calculate fibonacci numbers and test it."
)
</code>

===== Integration with Semantic Kernel =====

The Microsoft Agent Framework converges with [[semantic_kernel]] through three integration paths: AutoGen agents can leverage Semantic Kernel capabilities, AutoGen agents can be hosted within the SK ecosystem, and harmonized runtimes enable multi-agent interoperability. This unified approach supports deployment through Azure AI Foundry Agent Service.

===== References =====

  * [[https://github.com/microsoft/autogen|AutoGen GitHub Repository]]
  * [[https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/stable/index.html|AutoGen Documentation]]
  * [[https://ag2.ai|AG2 Official Website]]
  * [[https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/autogen/|Microsoft Research — AutoGen Project]]
  * [[https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/migration-guide/from-autogen/|Migration Guide: AutoGen to Agent Framework]]

===== See Also =====

  * [[semantic_kernel]] — Microsoft Semantic Kernel for enterprise AI orchestration
  * [[crewai]] — CrewAI role-based multi-agent framework
  * [[langgraph]] — LangGraph stateful agent graphs
  * [[multi_agent_systems]] — Overview of multi-agent architectures