AI Fundamentals - Part 4: Building Real AI Applications

Short summary

Part 4 of an AI fundamentals series explains how to build production AI applications using function calling, memory, and the Model Context Protocol. The LLM acts as a decision-maker outputting structured JSON instructions, while the application executes actual API calls. MCP standardizes tool integration the way USB standardizes hardware connections, eliminating custom wrappers for every service.

• •Function calling lets LLMs output structured instructions for the app to execute APIs
• •Short-term memory lives in context window; long-term memory requires external storage injected into prompts
• •MCP standardizes how models discover and access external tools, replacing per-tool custom wrappers

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.