Building AI agents with Claude in Google Cloud's Vertex AI | Code w/ Claude

Building scalable AI agents requires overcoming fragmented frameworks, complex tool integration, and significant operational overhead. Google Cloud’s agentic stack addresses these challenges through the Agent Development Kit (ADK), an open-source, code-first framework designed for efficient agent development. By integrating the Model Context Protocol (MCP), developers can standardize how agents access tools and external data. The Vertex AI Agent Engine further simplifies production by providing a managed runtime for deployment, monitoring, and observability. Additionally, the introduction of an open-source agent-to-agent protocol enables seamless communication between agents built on diverse frameworks, ensuring interoperability. This integrated approach allows developers to move from prototyping to production-ready systems while maintaining governance and scalability across enterprise environments.