OpenAI has released a comprehensive 34-page practical guide titled "A Practical Guide to Building Agents," aimed at product and engineering teams developing AI agents. The guide details how large-language-model (LLM) agents transform single-turn chatbots into autonomous systems capable of executing multi-step workflows on behalf of users. It emphasizes three core components of AI agents: an LLM for reasoning, a toolbox of external tools, and instructions. The guide covers foundational principles, use case selection, agent design patterns, tool selection, and best practices for safe and reliable deployment. This release is positioned as a key resource for advancing agentic AI, which is expected to play a growing role in automating complex tasks across various applications. Industry observers note the guide's relevance for teams moving beyond simple chatbots to more autonomous AI systems.