In this module, you'll learn what makes AI agents different from traditional AI assistants and why this distinction matters for enterprise applications. You'll explore how agents autonomously plan, execute, and reflect on complex tasks rather than simply responding to direct queries. The module covers Snowflake's agentic AI architecture including Cortex Agents, Cortex Analyst, and Cortex Search, and how these components work together. You'll examine real-world use cases in B2B sales intelligence and customer service to understand when agent capabilities are the right solution for business problems.

In this module, you'll build a complete B2B sales intelligence agent from scratch using Snowflake's visual interfaces. You'll create a semantic view for Cortex Analyst that enables natural language queries over structured sales metrics, configure Cortex Search for unstructured conversation transcripts, and connect both as tools to an agent. You'll write orchestration instructions that guide agent behavior and test your agent with questions that require structured data, unstructured data, and both combined. By the end, you'll have a working agent that autonomously decides which tools to use based on the question asked.

In this module, you'll expand your agent skills with advanced capabilities for production use. You'll learn how agents handle complex multi-step scenarios through task decomposition. The module covers response optimization techniques including instruction refinement for orchestration and response format. You'll learn how to evaluate agent reliability using Snowflake's observability features. Finally, you'll configure Model Context Protocol to connect your agents with external applications, extending their reach beyond Snowflake.