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Microsoft Shows How to Upgrade .NET AI Chat Apps with Agent Framework
Microsoft published a walkthrough demonstrating how to upgrade a .NET AI chat app built from the official .NET AI templates to use the new Microsoft Agent Framework. The preview framework extends basic chat functionality by enabling reasoning, multi-step workflows, and tool-based decision-making within .NET applications.
Microsoft Agent Framework is described as the next evolution beyond chatbots, allowing AI agents to plan, make autonomous decisions, maintain conversation context, and coordinate with other agents. It is built on familiar .NET patterns such as dependency injection, middleware, and telemetry, integrating directly with Microsoft.Extensions.AI.
The tutorial begins with creating a standard AI Chat Web App using the .NET AI templates in Visual Studio or the CLI. Developers install the templates with dotnet new install Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Templates, then configure Azure OpenAI or GitHub Models as the AI provider and .NET Aspire for orchestration.
The generated project includes a Blazor chat interface, orchestration host, and shared service configuration. Developers then enhance the chat experience by integrating Microsoft Agent Framework, which adds structured reasoning and decision-making to the chat process through extensible agent components.
According to Microsoft, the Agent Framework supports scenarios where multiple agents can collaborate, call APIs, and interact with external services. It builds on the same dependency injection and service registration model familiar to .NET developers, helping simplify integration into existing applications.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.