CrewAI
In plain wordsA free software framework for setting up teams of AI agents, each given a job title, goal and backstory, that divide up tasks and work through them together like a small staff.
An open-source Python framework, and the company behind it, for building multi-agent systemsmulti-agent system, n.: A setup in which several AI agents, each with its own role or point of view, work together — or compete — on a problem, passing messages and results among themselves. as teams of language-model agents, each cast in a defined role. Developers define agents by role, goal and backstory, each with a model and toolstool, n.: Any outside capability an AI model is allowed to use — a web search, a calculator, a code runner, a database or an app — described to the model so it can ask for it by name.; tasks with descriptions and expected outputs; and a crew that assigns tasks to agents and runs them under a process — sequential, or hierarchical, in which a manager agent plans, delegates and checks the work. Agents can delegate to one another and draw on shared memory. Flows, added later, provide event-driven, deterministic workflows with explicit state that can call crews as steps, combining scripted control with agent autonomy. Its quick, declarative setup made CrewAI popular for prototypes and business-process automation; critics note that role-play framing can add tokens and unpredictability without improving on simpler single-agent designs.
Our CrewAI setup has a researcher, a writer and an editor agent passing a market brief down the line.
Origin
Created by João Moura and released as open source in late 2023, during the first wave of multi-agent experiments; early versions used LangChainLangChain, prop. n.: A popular free software toolkit, and the company behind it, for building applications that connect AI language models to documents, databases, tools and multi-step workflows. components, but the framework later became standalone. Moura founded the company CrewAI around it.
Usage note
An example of an agent frameworkagent framework, n.: A software library that gives developers ready-made parts for building AI agents — model connections, tool handling, memory, multi-agent coordination and logging — so they need not write everything from scratch.; compare LangGraphLangGraph, prop. n.: A free software library for building AI agents as flowcharts of steps that share a memory, so developers control exactly how an agent moves between steps, pauses and resumes. (explicit graphs) and AutoGenAutoGen, prop. n.: A free Microsoft software framework for building teams of AI agents that solve problems by messaging one another, writing and running code, and asking people for help when needed. (conversing agents).
Related
- agent frameworkagent framework, n.: A software library that gives developers ready-made parts for building AI agents — model connections, tool handling, memory, multi-agent coordination and logging — so they need not write everything from scratch.
- multi-agent systemmulti-agent system, n.: A setup in which several AI agents, each with its own role or point of view, work together — or compete — on a problem, passing messages and results among themselves.
- LangGraphLangGraph, prop. n.: A free software library for building AI agents as flowcharts of steps that share a memory, so developers control exactly how an agent moves between steps, pauses and resumes.
- AutoGenAutoGen, prop. n.: A free Microsoft software framework for building teams of AI agents that solve problems by messaging one another, writing and running code, and asking people for help when needed.
- orchestrationorchestration, n.: Coordinating several AI calls, tools or agents so each does its part in the right order and their results are combined into one finished piece of work, as a conductor directs an orchestra.
- robotic process automationrobotic process automation, n.: Software 'robots' that copy the clicks and typing a person would do in office computer programs — such as moving data between forms — to automate repetitive paperwork.
Mentioned in
robotic process automationrobotic process automation, n.: Software 'robots' that copy the clicks and typing a person would do in office computer programs — such as moving data between forms — to automate repetitive paperwork., AutoGenAutoGen, prop. n.: A free Microsoft software framework for building teams of AI agents that solve problems by messaging one another, writing and running code, and asking people for help when needed., LangGraphLangGraph, prop. n.: A free software library for building AI agents as flowcharts of steps that share a memory, so developers control exactly how an agent moves between steps, pauses and resumes.