In the last topic, we explored how different types of environments (like static, dynamic, known, or unknown) affect how an agent behaves.
Now that we understand where an agent operates, let’s talk about how it actually works — what’s inside an AI agent and how it takes decisions.

1. What is the Structure of an AI Agent?

An AI agent is like a combination of body and brain working together to interact intelligently with its surroundings.
It has two main parts:

Part	What It Means	Example
Architecture	The body — the physical platform or hardware on which the agent runs.	A computer, a robot, a car, or a smartphone.
Program	The brain — the software or logic that decides what to do based on what it senses.	The AI algorithm that processes data and decides actions.

Just like humans use their brain to decide and their body to act — an AI agent uses its program to think and its architecture to act

2. How Do They Work Together?

Both parts — architecture and program — must work in coordination.

1. Sensors (in the architecture) collect data from the environment.
2. This data is sent to the program, which processes it.
3. The program decides what action should be taken.
4. The architecture performs that action using its actuators.

Step	Function
1️⃣	Sensors (cameras, radar, GPS) detect roads, cars, and obstacles.
2️⃣	Program processes this data and plans what to do next.
3️⃣	Actuators (steering, accelerator, brake) move the car accordingly.

So, the car senses → thinks → and acts — just like a human driver.

The car’s architecture is the body — sensors, wheels, and engine.
The program is the brain — it decides when to brake, turn, or stop.

3. Matching the Program to the Architecture

This is an important concept.
Not every program can run on every architecture — the two must be compatible.

You can’t run a robot walking program on your laptop — it has no legs!

So, we must design programs that match the capabilities of their hardware.

Architecture	Suitable Program
PC (no wheels)	Chess-playing program
Robot with wheels	Navigation or delivery program
Drone	Flying control or camera-tracking program

4. Why This Matters in AI Design

When building intelligent systems, the architecture decides what’s possible, and the program decides what’s intelligent.
A good AI engineer must design both to fit each other.

Example:

• If you’re building a robot chef, your architecture needs sensors (to see ingredients) and actuators (to cook and mix).
• Your program needs decision-making and learning algorithms to cook properly.

Together, they form a complete intelligent agent.

Summary 

The structure of an AI agent = Architecture + Program

• Architecture = physical body (hardware)
• Program = brain (software logic)
• They work together through sensors and actuators.
• The program must match the architecture for proper functioning.

🧩 Without a brain, the body is useless — and without a body, the brain can’t act. The same applies to AI agents! 🤖

Types of Agents.