How to Build Reliable AI Agents (without the hype)

Dave Ebbelaar July 25, 2025
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Dave Ebbelaar

@daveebbelaar

About

Hi, I'm Dave, an AI engineer with over a decade of experience in artificial intelligence. At Datalumina, I lead the AI projects, where we're always pushing the boundaries of what's possible while still building reliable applications. I'm not going to impress you with theory, but teach you (without hype) how to build real AI systems, using lasting engineering principles. Along the way: - 10M+ views across YouTube, LinkedIn, and courses - Helped 1M+ developers get started with AI - Building and scaling a 7-figure AI company - Delivered 50+ custom B2B AI solutions - Consulted for TimescaleDB, ClickUp, and n8n - Helped 500+ developers launch freelance careers - BSc + MSc in Artificial Intelligence (VU Amsterdam) I post about AI engineering, building real systems, and what it takes to go independent as a developer. If you want to build AI that actually works, or build a freelance career around it, follow along 👊🏻

Video Description

Want to start freelancing? Let me help: https://go.datalumina.com/BleVjFI Want to learn real AI Engineering? https://go.datalumina.com/AjnKsj0 💼 Need help with a project? Work with me: https://go.datalumina.com/TMGbUvO 🔗 GitHub Repository https://github.com/daveebbelaar/ai-cookbook/tree/main/agents/building-blocks 📚 Python Agents Beginner Course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZzyPscbtI8 🛠️ My VS Code / Cursor Setup https://youtu.be/mpk4Q5feWaw ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Introduction to AI Agents 0:56 Understanding AI Agents from First Principles 7:56 Building Block One: Intelligence Layer 9:08 Building Block Two: Memory 10:56 Building Block Three: Tools 13:08 Building Block Four: Validation 16:53 Building Block Five: Control 20:59 Building Block Six: Recovery 23:06 Building Block Seven: Feedback 26:53 Conclusion and Next Steps 📌 Description In this video, I go over the seven foundational building blocks you need to build reliable AI agents, cutting through the 99% of noise online to give you the clarity and production-ready approach that actually works in real systems. 👋🏻 About Me Hi! I'm Dave, AI Engineer and founder of Datalumina®. On this channel, I share practical tutorials that teach developers how to build production-ready AI systems that actually work in the real world. Beyond these tutorials, I also help people start successful freelancing careers. Check out the links above to learn more!

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