AI Agents and Applications

Welcome to the MEAP (Manning Early Access Program) for AI Applications Made Easy! I’m genuinely excited to have you on board as one of the first readers, your journey into creating with Generative AI starts now.

Many of us already use GenAI daily, from chatbots like ChatGPT to AI-driven content tools. But using a GenAI app is one thing, building one is another. This book is designed to help you become a maker of GenAI applications. Right from the first few chapters, you’ll start building real, functional GenAI applications, not just experimenting with existing tools. I wrote this book to unleash your creativity and help you build something unique and tailored to your own needs. I can’t wait to see what you create!

GenAI tools and LLM models will come and go, but creating GenAI applications requires mastering fundamental techniques that will remain relevant for years. Concepts like prompt engineering, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), agentic structures, and tool design are essential skills that will give you a competitive advantage in the long run, no matter how technology evolves.

Unlike many AI books that take deep programming knowledge for granted, AI Applications Made Easy leverages low-code, open-source platforms like Langflow and KNIME, making AI development quick and accessible to everyone. These low-code tools are not just simplified solutions for beginners, they are comprehensive platforms that offer full customization and scalability. Even seasoned data scientists and GenAI developers who are comfortable writing code are turning to these tools because they make prototyping faster, more efficient, and highly scalable.

The book includes full, step-by-step tutorials starting from Chapter 2. Each tutorial guides you in building a GenAI app from scratch, such as a virtual customer service assistant, a marketing advisor, or a financial analyst. My goal is for you to learn by doing, experiencing firsthand what it means to develop end-to-end AI solutions that go beyond experimentation into real-world deployment.

As a MEAP reader, you get early access to the content while I continue writing. Your feedback is invaluable to me, it will directly shape the final book. I encourage you to share your thoughts on clarity, examples, and illustrations, and most importantly, to fully run all the exercises on your laptop so you can experience firsthand what this book enables. You can share your feedback on the LiveBook Discussion forum, I will read all of it, and I truly appreciate your contributions.

Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey. Happy building!

Your loving author,, Andrea De Mauro