代理设计的艺术与科学
CrewAI 的核心是代理——一个专门设计的 AI 实体,用于在协作框架内扮演特定角色。虽然创建基本的代理很简单,但要打造出能产生卓越成果的高效代理,则需要理解关键的设计原则和最佳实践。 本指南将帮助您掌握代理设计的艺术,让您能够创建专业的 AI 角色,使其能够有效协作、批判性思考,并根据您的特定需求产出高质量的成果。为什么代理设计很重要
您定义代理的方式会显著影响:
- 输出质量:精心设计的代理能产出更相关、更高质量的结果。
- 协作效率:具备互补技能的代理能更高效地协同工作。
- 任务性能:拥有明确角色和目标的代理能更有效地执行任务。
- 系统可扩展性:经过深思熟虑设计的代理可以在多个团队和情境中复用。
让我们来探索在这些维度上表现出色的代理创建最佳实践。
二八法则:关注任务而非代理
在构建高效的 AI 系统时,请记住这个关键原则:80% 的精力应该投入到设计任务上,只有 20% 用于定义代理。 为什么?因为即使是最完美的代理,如果任务设计不佳也会失败;而精心设计的任务即使是简单的代理也能胜任。这意味着:
- 花费大部分时间编写清晰的任务指令。
- 定义详细的输入和预期输出。
- 添加示例和上下文以指导执行。
- 将剩余时间用于代理的角色、目标和背景故事。
这并不意味着代理设计不重要——它绝对重要。但任务设计是大多数执行失败的根源,所以要相应地安排优先级。
高效代理设计的核心原则
1. 角色-目标-背景故事框架
CrewAI 中最强大的代理建立在三个关键要素的坚实基础上:
角色:代理的专业职能
角色定义了代理做什么以及其专业领域。在设定角色时:
- 要具体和专业:不要用“作家”,而是用“技术文档专家”或“创意故事讲述者”。
- 与现实世界职业对齐:基于可识别的职业原型设定角色。
- 包含领域专长:指明代理的知识领域(例如,“专注于市场趋势的金融分析师”)。
高效角色的示例
role: "Senior UX Researcher specializing in user interview analysis"
role: "Full-Stack Software Architect with expertise in distributed systems"
role: "Corporate Communications Director specializing in crisis management"
目标:代理的宗旨和动机
目标指导代理的行动,并塑造其决策过程。有效的目标应:
- 清晰且以结果为导向:定义代理试图实现的目标。
- 强调质量标准:包含对工作质量的期望。
- 包含成功标准:帮助代理理解“好”是什么样子。
有效目标的示例
goal: "Uncover actionable user insights by analyzing interview data and identifying recurring patterns, unmet needs, and improvement opportunities"
goal: "Design robust, scalable system architectures that balance performance, maintainability, and cost-effectiveness"
goal: "Craft clear, empathetic crisis communications that address stakeholder concerns while protecting organizational reputation"
背景故事:代理的经验和视角
背景故事赋予代理深度,影响其解决问题和与他人互动的方式。好的背景故事:
- 建立专业知识和经验:解释代理如何获得其技能。
- 定义工作风格和价值观:描述代理如何处理工作。
- 创建一个连贯的角色形象:确保背景故事的所有元素与角色和目标保持一致。
有效背景故事的示例
backstory: "You have spent 15 years conducting and analyzing user research for top tech companies. You have a talent for reading between the lines and identifying patterns that others miss. You believe that good UX is invisible and that the best insights come from listening to what users don't say as much as what they do say."
backstory: "With 20+ years of experience building distributed systems at scale, you've developed a pragmatic approach to software architecture. You've seen both successful and failed systems and have learned valuable lessons from each. You balance theoretical best practices with practical constraints and always consider the maintenance and operational aspects of your designs."
backstory: "As a seasoned communications professional who has guided multiple organizations through high-profile crises, you understand the importance of transparency, speed, and empathy in crisis response. You have a methodical approach to crafting messages that address concerns while maintaining organizational credibility."
2. 专家优于通才
当代理被赋予专业角色而非通用角色时,其表现会显著提升。高度专注的代理能提供更精确、相关的输出: 通用(效果较差):
专业(效果更佳)
role: "Technical Blog Writer specializing in explaining complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences"
专家优势
- 对预期输出有更清晰的理解
- 更稳定的性能
- 与特定任务更好地对齐
- 更强的领域特定判断能力
3. 平衡专业化与多功能性
高效的代理在专业化(极擅长做一件事)和多功能性(能适应各种情况)之间找到了恰当的平衡:
- 角色专业,应用灵活:创建具有专业技能的代理,这些技能可以应用于多种情境。
- 避免过于狭隘的定义:确保代理能处理其专业领域内的变化。
- 考虑协作环境:设计的代理其专业能力应能与其他合作的代理互补。
4. 设置适当的专业水平
您为代理指定的专业水平决定了它处理任务的方式:
- 新手代理:适用于直接的任务、头脑风暴或初稿。
- 中级代理:适用于大多数标准任务,执行可靠。
- 专家代理:最适合需要深度和细微差别的复杂、专业任务。
- 世界级代理:保留给需要卓越质量的关键任务。
根据任务复杂性和质量要求选择适当的专业水平。对于大多数协作团队,混合使用不同专业水平通常效果最佳,将更高的专业水平分配给核心专业职能。
实际案例:前后对比
让我们看一些应用这些最佳实践前后的代理定义示例:
示例 1:内容创作代理
之前
role: "Writer"
goal: "Write good content"
backstory: "You are a writer who creates content for websites."
之后
role: "B2B Technology Content Strategist"
goal: "Create compelling, technically accurate content that explains complex topics in accessible language while driving reader engagement and supporting business objectives"
backstory: "You have spent a decade creating content for leading technology companies, specializing in translating technical concepts for business audiences. You excel at research, interviewing subject matter experts, and structuring information for maximum clarity and impact. You believe that the best B2B content educates first and sells second, building trust through genuine expertise rather than marketing hype."
示例 2:研究代理
之前
role: "Researcher"
goal: "Find information"
backstory: "You are good at finding information online."
之后
role: "Academic Research Specialist in Emerging Technologies"
goal: "Discover and synthesize cutting-edge research, identifying key trends, methodologies, and findings while evaluating the quality and reliability of sources"
backstory: "With a background in both computer science and library science, you've mastered the art of digital research. You've worked with research teams at prestigious universities and know how to navigate academic databases, evaluate research quality, and synthesize findings across disciplines. You're methodical in your approach, always cross-referencing information and tracing claims to primary sources before drawing conclusions."
为您的代理打造高效的任务
虽然代理设计很重要,但任务设计对于成功执行至关重要。以下是设计能让代理成功的任务的最佳实践:
高效任务的构成
一个精心设计的任务有两个服务于不同目的的关键组成部分:
任务描述:过程
描述应侧重于做什么以及如何做,包括:
- 详细的执行指令
- 上下文和背景信息
- 范围和限制
- 要遵循的流程步骤
预期输出:交付物
预期输出应定义最终结果应该是什么样子:
- 格式规范(Markdown、JSON 等)
- 结构要求
- 质量标准
- 良好输出的示例(如果可能)
任务设计最佳实践
1. 单一目的,单一输出
当任务专注于一个明确的目标时,表现最佳: 反面示例(过于宽泛):task_description: "Research market trends, analyze the data, and create a visualization."
正面示例(专注)
# Task 1
research_task:
description: "Research the top 5 market trends in the AI industry for 2024."
expected_output: "A markdown list of the 5 trends with supporting evidence."
# Task 2
analysis_task:
description: "Analyze the identified trends to determine potential business impacts."
expected_output: "A structured analysis with impact ratings (High/Medium/Low)."
# Task 3
visualization_task:
description: "Create a visual representation of the analyzed trends."
expected_output: "A description of a chart showing trends and their impact ratings."
始终清晰地指定任务将使用哪些输入,以及输出应该是什么样子: 示例:analysis_task:
description: >
Analyze the customer feedback data from the CSV file.
Focus on identifying recurring themes related to product usability.
Consider sentiment and frequency when determining importance.
expected_output: >
A markdown report with the following sections:
1. Executive summary (3-5 bullet points)
2. Top 3 usability issues with supporting data
3. Recommendations for improvement
3. 包含目的和背景
解释为什么这项任务很重要,以及它如何融入更大的工作流程: 示例:competitor_analysis_task:
description: >
Analyze our three main competitors' pricing strategies.
This analysis will inform our upcoming pricing model revision.
Focus on identifying patterns in how they price premium features
and how they structure their tiered offerings.
对于机器可读的输出,清晰地指定格式: 示例:data_extraction_task:
description: "Extract key metrics from the quarterly report."
expected_output: "JSON object with the following keys: revenue, growth_rate, customer_acquisition_cost, and retention_rate."
需要避免的常见错误
基于从实际应用中吸取的经验教训,以下是代理和任务设计中最常见的陷阱:
1. 任务指令不明确
问题: 任务缺乏足够细节,导致代理难以有效执行。 不良设计示例:research_task:
description: "Research AI trends."
expected_output: "A report on AI trends."
改进版本
research_task:
description: >
Research the top emerging AI trends for 2024 with a focus on:
1. Enterprise adoption patterns
2. Technical breakthroughs in the past 6 months
3. Regulatory developments affecting implementation
For each trend, identify key companies, technologies, and potential business impacts.
expected_output: >
A comprehensive markdown report with:
- Executive summary (5 bullet points)
- 5-7 major trends with supporting evidence
- For each trend: definition, examples, and business implications
- References to authoritative sources
2. 试图包揽一切的“上帝任务”
问题: 将多个复杂操作合并到一个指令集中的任务。 不良设计示例:comprehensive_task:
description: "Research market trends, analyze competitor strategies, create a marketing plan, and design a launch timeline."
改进版本: 将其分解为顺序的、专注的任务。
# Task 1: Research
market_research_task:
description: "Research current market trends in the SaaS project management space."
expected_output: "A markdown summary of key market trends."
# Task 2: Competitive Analysis
competitor_analysis_task:
description: "Analyze strategies of the top 3 competitors based on the market research."
expected_output: "A comparison table of competitor strategies."
context: [market_research_task]
# Continue with additional focused tasks...
3. 描述与预期输出不一致
问题: 任务描述要求一件事,而预期输出指定了另一件事。 不良设计示例:analysis_task:
description: "Analyze customer feedback to find areas of improvement."
expected_output: "A marketing plan for the next quarter."
改进版本
analysis_task:
description: "Analyze customer feedback to identify the top 3 areas for product improvement."
expected_output: "A report listing the 3 priority improvement areas with supporting customer quotes and data points."
4. 自己不理解流程
问题: 要求代理执行您自己都不完全理解的任务。 解决方案:
- 首先尝试手动执行任务。
- 记录您的流程、决策点和信息来源。
- 使用此文档作为任务描述的基础。
5. 过早使用层级结构
问题: 创建不必要的复杂代理层级,而顺序流程效果更好。 解决方案: 从顺序流程开始,仅在工作流程复杂性确实需要时才转向层级模型。6. 代理定义模糊或通用
问题: 通用的代理定义导致通用的输出。 不良设计示例:agent:
role: "Business Analyst"
goal: "Analyze business data"
backstory: "You are good at business analysis."
改进版本
agent:
role: "SaaS Metrics Specialist focusing on growth-stage startups"
goal: "Identify actionable insights from business data that can directly impact customer retention and revenue growth"
backstory: "With 10+ years analyzing SaaS business models, you've developed a keen eye for the metrics that truly matter for sustainable growth. You've helped numerous companies identify the leverage points that turned around their business trajectory. You believe in connecting data to specific, actionable recommendations rather than general observations."
高级代理设计策略
为协作而设计
在创建将在团队中协同工作的代理时,请考虑:
- 互补技能:设计具有不同但互补能力的代理。
- 交接点:定义工作在代理之间传递的清晰接口。
- 建设性张力:有时,创建具有略微不同视角的代理可以通过富有成效的对话带来更好的结果。
例如,一个内容创作团队可能包括:
# Research Agent
role: "Research Specialist for technical topics"
goal: "Gather comprehensive, accurate information from authoritative sources"
backstory: "You are a meticulous researcher with a background in library science..."
# Writer Agent
role: "Technical Content Writer"
goal: "Transform research into engaging, clear content that educates and informs"
backstory: "You are an experienced writer who excels at explaining complex concepts..."
# Editor Agent
role: "Content Quality Editor"
goal: "Ensure content is accurate, well-structured, and polished while maintaining consistency"
backstory: "With years of experience in publishing, you have a keen eye for detail..."
一些代理可以被专门设计来有效利用某些工具:
role: "Data Analysis Specialist"
goal: "Derive meaningful insights from complex datasets through statistical analysis"
backstory: "With a background in data science, you excel at working with structured and unstructured data..."
tools: [PythonREPLTool, DataVisualizationTool, CSVAnalysisTool]
根据 LLM 能力定制代理
不同的 LLM 有不同的优势。在设计代理时要考虑到这些能力:
# For complex reasoning tasks
analyst:
role: "Data Insights Analyst"
goal: "..."
backstory: "..."
llm: openai/gpt-4o
# For creative content
writer:
role: "Creative Content Writer"
goal: "..."
backstory: "..."
llm: anthropic/claude-3-opus
测试和迭代代理设计
代理设计通常是一个迭代过程。以下是一种实用方法:
- 从原型开始:创建初始的代理定义。
- 用示例任务测试:在代表性任务上评估性能。
- 分析输出:识别优点和缺点。
- 优化定义:根据观察结果调整角色、目标和背景故事。
- 在协作中测试:评估代理在团队环境中的表现。
打造高效的代理既是一门艺术也是一门科学。通过仔细定义符合您特定需求的角色、目标和背景故事,并将其与精心设计的任务相结合,您可以创建出能够产生卓越成果的专业 AI 协作者。 请记住,代理和任务设计是一个迭代过程。从这些最佳实践开始,观察您的代理在行动中的表现,并根据所学到的知识来优化您的方法。并始终牢记二八法则——将大部分精力集中在创建清晰、专注的任务上,以从您的代理那里获得最佳结果。恭喜!您现在已经了解了高效代理设计的原则和实践。应用这些技巧来创建强大的、专业的代理,它们可以无缝地协同工作以完成复杂的任务。
后续步骤