AI agents play an increasing role in task automation and enhancing business productivity. However, their effectiveness is often limited by technological silos and insufficient interoperability between systems. To address this challenge, Google recently announced the launch of the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol, an open standard aimed at facilitating collaboration between agents regardless of their provider or deployment environment.
A response to system fragmentation
The emergence of autonomous agents, capable of acting semi-independently on complex tasks, has generated a new challenge: their ability to collaborate effectively in heterogeneous environments.
This is where A2A comes into play. Designed as a communication protocol between agents, it is based on widely adopted standards such as HTTP, JSON-RPC, and Server-Sent Events (SSE), with an architecture focused on security, modularity, and support for long-running or multimodal tasks. Agents can discover each other, share "capability cards," and collaborate through structured exchanges around task objects and artifacts.
With over 50 technology partners and service providers such as Atlassian, PayPal, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, and consulting firms like BCG, Deloitte, and McKinsey, A2A benefits from broad industry support.
How does A2A work?
The A2A protocol establishes a structured communication framework between two types of agents: the client agent, which initiates and formulates the tasks to be accomplished, and the remote agent, responsible for responding by executing the requested actions or providing relevant information. This functional distribution aims to model a clear delegation logic within a multi-agent environment.
Credit Google
The A2A protocol is based on a simple yet effective architecture:
- Capability discovery : Each agent publishes an agent card describing its skills and services, allowing the client agent to identify the best agent to execute a specific task.
- Task management : Agents can initiate and track tasks autonomously, synchronizing their progress states.
- Inter-agent collaboration : Exchanges of messages, artifacts, and instructions to coordinate actions.
- Format negotiation : Agents adapt their responses to the specific needs of their interlocutors (text, image, video...).
For example, in a recruitment process, one agent could identify qualified candidates, while another organizes interviews and a third conducts reference checks, all in a seamless and automated manner.
According to Google :
"This collaborative effort reflects a shared vision of a future where AI agents, regardless of their underlying technologies, can seamlessly collaborate to automate complex business workflows and achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency and innovation. We believe this universal interoperability is key to fully realizing the potential of collaborative AI agents."
To better understand
What is the JSON-RPC protocol, and why is it crucial for A2A?
JSON-RPC is a remote procedure call protocol that uses JSON to encode calls. It is crucial for A2A as it allows efficient and standardized communication between agents, facilitating the interoperability needed to achieve A2A's goals.
What are the regulatory challenges related to the interoperability of AI agents under open standards like A2A?
Regulatory challenges include data protection, privacy, and fair information processing practices. Regulations such as GDPR in Europe impose constraints on data sharing, which can complicate interoperability and collaboration between agents from different providers.