Treating AI Agents as Microservices Could Unlock Scalability, Cisco VP Says
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – december 5, 2025 – As artificial intelligence agents become increasingly elegant, a new architectural approach-treating them as microservices-is gaining traction as a key to unlocking scalability and interoperability. Guillaume De Saint Marc, VP of Engineering at Cisco’s tech incubator Outshift, discussed the potential of this paradigm shift today, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in building decentralized, agent-based systems.
The move towards viewing AI agents as autonomous, modular components mirrors best practices in modern software progress.This approach addresses limitations in current multi-agent infrastructure, focusing on robust interaction protocols and standardized interoperability. Successfully implementing this model could dramatically accelerate the development and deployment of complex AI applications, impacting industries from automation to customer service and beyond.
Outshift, Cisco’s incubator for emerging technologies including agentic AI and quantum computing, is actively exploring these concepts thru its open-source collective, AGNTCY. de Saint Marc emphasized the importance of establishing clear communication pathways between agents, allowing them to function cohesively even as systems grow in complexity.
“The future of multi-agent architectures lies in their ability to function as independent, scalable units,” De Saint Marc explained. “Just like microservices,agents need well-defined interfaces and reliable communication to truly unlock their potential.”
The discussion also touched on the need for standardized protocols to ensure agents from different developers can seamlessly interact. This interoperability is crucial for building truly decentralized and adaptable AI ecosystems. Individuals interested in learning more about multi-agent architecture can explore resources at https://agntcy.org/.
In other news, Stack Overflow user Avraam mavridis was recently recognized with a Socratic badge, awarded to those who consistently ask high-quality questions on the platform for 100 separate days. Connect with Guillaume De Saint Marc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaume-de-saint-marc-54928a1/.
