I just returned from day two of Google Cloud Next 2025, and let me tell you, it was a whirlwind of ideas, demos, and a whole lot of talk about agents. The developer keynote today doubled down on the buzz from day one, filling in the gaps on some big announcements. If day one set the stage, day two was all about diving into the nitty-gritty—especially around this new agent-to-agent protocol (A2A) that’s got everyone talking. So, grab a coffee, get comfy, and let’s unpack what went down, from the expo floor to the keynote stage, in a way that’s easy to digest but doesn’t skimp on the techy details.
What's new in Google Cloud Next 2025?
If you were at Google Cloud Next 2025 or following along online, you probably noticed one word popping up everywhere: agents. I jokingly posted on X that this year, we’re not counting how many times someone says “AI”—we’re counting “agents.” It was like the keynote speakers had a bet to see who could say it the most! But all kidding aside, this focus reflects the direction of the conference and the industry. Agents are the hot topic, and for good reason—they’re shaping up to be the next big leap in how we interact with AI systems.
So, what are these agents everyone’s raving about? In simple terms, agents are AI-powered systems designed to handle tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously. Think of them as digital assistants that don’t just follow orders but can figure things out, make decisions, and even collaborate with other agents to get stuff done. The promise is huge: agents could streamline workflows, automate complex processes, and maybe even revolutionize how we work. But are we there yet? Well, that’s where things get interesting.
I spent a chunk of my day wandering the expo floor with a friend from the YouTube channel Prompt Engineering (great guy, awesome content—check him out if you haven’t already). We were on a mission to see what companies were showcasing with their agent demos. The expo was buzzing with booths, each trying to outdo the other with their latest tech. But here’s the thing: both of us walked away feeling a bit… underwhelmed.
Don’t get me wrong—the demos were cool in their own way. We saw things like currency converters, chatbots handling basic customer queries, and scripts automating small tasks. These are useful, no question. But when you hear “agents,” you expect something more… agentic. You know, systems that can reason, plan, and tackle big, complex problems—not just execute predefined workflows. What we saw felt more like polished large language model (LLM) applications than the game-changing agents we’ve been hyped up to expect. If you’re imagining agents taking over entire job roles or delivering AGI-level smarts, let’s just say we’re not there yet. Not even close.
Still, the gap between expectation and reality is part of what makes events like this so fascinating. It’s a snapshot of where the industry is right now, not where it’s going to be in five years. And while the demos didn’t blow our minds, they did spark some great conversations about what agents could become—and that’s where Google’s new A2A protocol comes in.
Agent-to-Agent Protocol: The Big Idea
The star of the developer keynote (and honestly, a big chunk of the conference) was Google’s announcement of the agent-to-agent protocol, or A2A for short. This was teased in the opening keynote on day one and fleshed out today, and it’s got the potential to be a game-changer—if it catches on. So, what’s A2A all about? Let’s break it down.
At its core, A2A is a new way for agents to talk to each other. Right now, most AI agents operate in a pretty limited way. You’ve got things like Model Control Protocols (MCPs), which let an agent use tools, access data, or run specific prompts. But MCPs are built around a single agent interacting with its environment—like a solo player calling the shots. A2A takes it up a notch by enabling collaboration between agents.
Imagine this: instead of one agent doing everything (or passing off a task to another system like it’s handing over a baton), A2A lets agents work together like a team. They can discover each other, negotiate tasks, and share results in a standardized way. It’s like giving agents their own communication network, complete with rules and formats to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Here’s how it might work in practice. Let’s say you’ve got an agent that’s great at analyzing financial data, but it needs help generating a polished report. With A2A, it could find another agent specializing in document formatting, send it the raw data with instructions like, “Hey, turn this into a PDF in English, with charts,” and get back exactly what it needs. The protocol handles the handshake—things like HTTP, Server-Sent Events (SSE), or JSON-RPC—ensuring the exchange is smooth and secure.
Google’s pitching A2A as a way to make agent ecosystems more dynamic and scalable. They’re not just talking about one-off tasks but a future where agents form networks, discovering and hiring each other to tackle complex problems. It’s a bold vision, and there’s a lot to like about it. But, as with any new tech, there are some hurdles to clear. Let’s dig into the good, the not-so-good, and what this could mean down the line.
Why A2A Has Promise
First off, the idea of agents collaborating is exciting. Right now, most AI systems are siloed—they do their thing and that’s it. A2A could break down those walls, creating a world where agents act like specialists in a company, each bringing their own skills to the table. This could lead to some seriously powerful applications. For example:
- Agent Discovery: One of the coolest parts of A2A is the concept of agent discovery. Google’s proposing that agents have “agent cards”—think digital business cards that say, “Here’s what I do, here’s how to reach me, and here’s the format I use.” Your agent could ping a registry (public or private) to find the right teammate for the job. It’s like an app store for agents, and honestly, that’s been a whispered-about idea in the AI world for at least 18 months. Google’s not the first to think of it, but they’re putting real muscle behind it.
- Standardization: A2A uses familiar standards like HTTP and JSON-RPC, which means developers don’t have to learn a whole new playbook. It’s built to integrate with existing systems, and Google’s even released sample agents to show how it works with frameworks like CrewAI, LangChain, and their own GenKit. You could have an agent written in JavaScript calling one in Python, no sweat.
- Security Focus: Security’s a big deal when agents start chatting. Google’s emphasizing that A2A is designed to be secure by default, addressing some of the gaps in protocols like MCPs. (I overheard a funny quip at the conference: “The ‘S’ in MCP stands for security!” Spoiler: there’s no ‘S,’ and that was the point—security isn’t always baked in.) A2A aims to fix that with encrypted communication and clear protocols for what agents can and can’t do.
- Flexibility: The protocol supports all sorts of use cases. Want public agents anyone can access? Cool. Need private agents for internal company tasks? That works too. Google’s even got a GitHub repo with a conceptual overview, sample code, and terminology like tasks, messages, and artifacts (the outputs agents pass around). It’s a solid starting point for developers who want to experiment.
All of this paints a picture of a future where agents aren’t just tools but part of a living, breathing ecosystem. Google’s not trying to replace MCPs—those are still great for agent-to-tool interactions—but A2A operates on a different level, focusing on agent-to-agent teamwork. And with 50 technology partners on board (think Cohere for model building, LangChain for agent frameworks, plus a slew of consulting firms), there’s momentum behind it.
Where A2A Needs Work
Now, let’s keep it real—A2A isn’t perfect. It’s a proposal, not a finished product, and there are some red flags worth noting.
- Missing Players: When I checked the list of partners, one name was conspicuously absent: Anthropic. If you’re not familiar, Anthropic’s a heavy hitter in AI, and their absence raises questions. Are they planning their own version of A2A, maybe an MCP 2.0 that handles both tools and agents? If so, we could end up with competing protocols, and that’s a recipe for fragmentation. Tech history is littered with standards that fizzled out because key players didn’t buy in (cough Betamax cough). Google’s got a good track record with protocols like gRPC, often handing them off to neutral bodies to avoid looking too “Google-y.” But without Anthropic—and other agent frameworks like LlamaIndex or Pydantic AI—A2A’s adoption could hit a wall.
- Hype vs. Reality: The demos at Next didn’t exactly scream “agent revolution.” If A2A’s going to live up to its potential, we need to see agents doing more than basic workflows. The protocol sounds great on paper, but its success depends on what developers build with it. Right now, the gap between Google’s vision and what’s actually out there is pretty wide.
- Complexity Creep: While A2A uses familiar standards, building a truly collaborative agent system isn’t trivial. Developers will need to wrangle registries, agent cards, and task negotiation logic. Google’s Agent Development Kit (or Agent Developer Kit—they seem to waffle on the name) aims to help, but it’s early days. If the learning curve’s too steep, adoption could stall.
- Marketplace Uncertainty: The “agent store” idea is tantalizing, but it’s not clear how it’ll work. Will agents pay each other microtransactions for tasks? Will there be a central hub or a decentralized mess? Google’s laying the groundwork, but the economics and logistics are still fuzzy.
These aren’t dealbreakers, but they’re worth watching. A2A’s success hinges on getting the big players on board, proving it can deliver, and making it developer-friendly enough to spark a wave of innovation.
What’s Next for A2A and Agents?
So, where does A2A go from here? If Google plays its cards right, this could be the foundation for a new era of AI collaboration. Picture a world where your personal assistant agent hires a data-crunching agent, which then teams up with a design agent to whip up a killer presentation—all while you sip your coffee. That’s the dream, and A2A’s a step toward it.
But dreams don’t come true overnight. Here’s what I’d love to see happen:
- Wider Adoption: Google needs to get Anthropic, LlamaIndex, and others on board. A unified protocol beats a standards war any day. Maybe hand A2A off to an open-source body to make it feel less like a Google project.
- Killer Demos: We need agents that wow us—not just currency converters. Think agents that can plan a marketing campaign, debug code across multiple languages, or manage supply chains. Show us what A2A can really do.
- Developer Love: Make A2A as easy to use as possible. More tutorials, better docs, and a vibrant community could turn it into the go-to protocol for agent builders.
- Marketplace Clarity: Flesh out the agent store idea. How will discovery work? What’s the payment model? Give developers a roadmap so they can start building now.
As for the bigger picture, agents are clearly the future—but we’re still in the early innings. Google Cloud Next 2025 showed us a glimpse of what’s possible, but it also reminded us how much work’s left to do. The A2A protocol is a bold move, and I’m rooting for it to succeed. If it catches on, it could turn agents from a buzzword into a reality that changes how we work and build tech.
Wrapping Up
Day two of Google Cloud Next 2025 was a rollercoaster of ideas and insights. The developer keynote put agents front and center, and while the expo floor demos didn’t quite live up to the hype, they gave us plenty to chew on. The A2A protocol stole the show, promising a future where agents team up to tackle big challenges. It’s got huge potential, but it’s not a slam dunk yet—Google’s got some convincing to do to get everyone on board.
For now, A2A’s a work in progress, and that’s okay. Tech moves fast, and events like Next are about planting seeds, not harvesting fruit. If you’re a developer, I’d say hop over to Google’s GitHub repo and check out their A2A samples. Play around, break stuff, and see what you can build. The agent revolution’s coming—it’s just a matter of when.
What do you think about A2A? Got ideas for what Google should add to the protocol? Or maybe you’re dreaming up your own agent marketplace? Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear them. Until next time, keep coding, keep exploring……
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