refactor: replace InstanceOf[T] with plain type annotations

* refactor: replace InstanceOf[T] with plain type annotations

InstanceOf[] is a Pydantic validation wrapper that adds runtime
isinstance checks. Plain type annotations are sufficient here since
the models already use arbitrary_types_allowed or the types are
BaseModel subclasses.

* refactor: convert BaseKnowledgeStorage to BaseModel

* fix: update tests for BaseKnowledgeStorage BaseModel conversion

* fix: correct embedder config structure in test

lib/crewai/src/crewai/agent/core.py

@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ from pydantic import (
     BaseModel,
     ConfigDict,
     Field,
-    InstanceOf,
     PrivateAttr,
     model_validator,
 )
@@ -167,10 +166,10 @@ class Agent(BaseAgent):
         default=True,
         description="Use system prompt for the agent.",
     )
-    llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | None = Field(
+    llm: str | BaseLLM | None = Field(
         description="Language model that will run the agent.", default=None
     )
-    function_calling_llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | None = Field(
+    function_calling_llm: str | BaseLLM | None = Field(
         description="Language model that will run the agent.", default=None
     )
     system_template: str | None = Field(

lib/crewai/src/crewai/agents/agent_builder/base_agent.py

@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ from pydantic import (
     UUID4,
     BaseModel,
     Field,
-    InstanceOf,
     PrivateAttr,
     field_validator,
     model_validator,
@@ -185,7 +184,7 @@ class BaseAgent(BaseModel, ABC, metaclass=AgentMeta):
         default=None,
         description="Knowledge sources for the agent.",
     )
-    knowledge_storage: InstanceOf[BaseKnowledgeStorage] | None = Field(
+    knowledge_storage: BaseKnowledgeStorage | None = Field(
         default=None,
         description="Custom knowledge storage for the agent.",
     )

lib/crewai/src/crewai/crew.py

@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from pydantic import (
     UUID4,
     BaseModel,
     Field,
-    InstanceOf,
     Json,
     PrivateAttr,
     field_validator,
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     _rpm_controller: RPMController = PrivateAttr()
     _logger: Logger = PrivateAttr()
     _file_handler: FileHandler = PrivateAttr()
-    _cache_handler: InstanceOf[CacheHandler] = PrivateAttr(default_factory=CacheHandler)
+    _cache_handler: CacheHandler = PrivateAttr(default_factory=CacheHandler)
     _memory: Memory | MemoryScope | MemorySlice | None = PrivateAttr(default=None)
     _train: bool | None = PrivateAttr(default=False)
     _train_iteration: int | None = PrivateAttr()
@@ -210,13 +209,13 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         default=None,
         description="Metrics for the LLM usage during all tasks execution.",
     )
-    manager_llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | None = Field(
+    manager_llm: str | BaseLLM | None = Field(
         description="Language model that will run the agent.", default=None
     )
     manager_agent: BaseAgent | None = Field(
         description="Custom agent that will be used as manager.", default=None
     )
-    function_calling_llm: str | InstanceOf[LLM] | None = Field(
+    function_calling_llm: str | LLM | None = Field(
         description="Language model that will run the agent.", default=None
     )
     config: Json[dict[str, Any]] | dict[str, Any] | None = Field(default=None)
@@ -267,7 +266,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         default=False,
         description="Plan the crew execution and add the plan to the crew.",
     )
-    planning_llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | Any | None = Field(
+    planning_llm: str | BaseLLM | Any | None = Field(
         default=None,
         description=(
             "Language model that will run the AgentPlanner if planning is True."
@@ -288,7 +287,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
             "knowledge object."
         ),
     )
-    chat_llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | Any | None = Field(
+    chat_llm: str | BaseLLM | Any | None = Field(
         default=None,
         description="LLM used to handle chatting with the crew.",
     )
@@ -1800,7 +1799,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     def test(
         self,
         n_iterations: int,
-        eval_llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM],
+        eval_llm: str | BaseLLM,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         """Test and evaluate the Crew with the given inputs for n iterations.

lib/crewai/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/base_knowledge_storage.py

@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict
+
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from crewai.rag.types import SearchResult
 
 
-class BaseKnowledgeStorage(ABC):
+class BaseKnowledgeStorage(BaseModel, ABC):
+    model_config = ConfigDict(arbitrary_types_allowed=True)
     """Abstract base class for knowledge storage implementations."""
 
     @abstractmethod

lib/crewai/src/crewai/knowledge/storage/knowledge_storage.py

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ import traceback
 from typing import Any, cast
 import warnings
 
+from pydantic import Field, PrivateAttr, model_validator
+from typing_extensions import Self
+
 from crewai.knowledge.storage.base_knowledge_storage import BaseKnowledgeStorage
 from crewai.rag.chromadb.config import ChromaDBConfig
 from crewai.rag.chromadb.types import ChromaEmbeddingFunctionWrapper
@@ -22,31 +25,32 @@ class KnowledgeStorage(BaseKnowledgeStorage):
     search efficiency.
     """
 
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        embedder: ProviderSpec
+    collection_name: str | None = None
+    embedder: (
+        ProviderSpec
         | BaseEmbeddingsProvider[Any]
         | type[BaseEmbeddingsProvider[Any]]
-        | None = None,
-        collection_name: str | None = None,
-    ) -> None:
-        self.collection_name = collection_name
-        self._client: BaseClient | None = None
+        | None
+    ) = Field(default=None, exclude=True)
+    _client: BaseClient | None = PrivateAttr(default=None)
 
+    @model_validator(mode="after")
+    def _init_client(self) -> Self:
         warnings.filterwarnings(
             "ignore",
             message=r".*'model_fields'.*is deprecated.*",
             module=r"^chromadb(\.|$)",
         )
 
-        if embedder:
-            embedding_function = build_embedder(embedder)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        if self.embedder:
+            embedding_function = build_embedder(self.embedder)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
             config = ChromaDBConfig(
                 embedding_function=cast(
                     ChromaEmbeddingFunctionWrapper, embedding_function
                 )
             )
             self._client = create_client(config)
+        return self
 
     def _get_client(self) -> BaseClient:
         """Get the appropriate client - instance-specific or global."""

lib/crewai/src/crewai/lite_agent.py

@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from pydantic import (
     UUID4,
     BaseModel,
     Field,
-    InstanceOf,
     PrivateAttr,
     field_validator,
     model_validator,
@@ -204,7 +203,7 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     role: str = Field(description="Role of the agent")
     goal: str = Field(description="Goal of the agent")
     backstory: str = Field(description="Backstory of the agent")
-    llm: str | InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | Any | None = Field(
+    llm: str | BaseLLM | Any | None = Field(
         default=None, description="Language model that will run the agent"
     )
     tools: list[BaseTool] = Field(

lib/crewai/src/crewai/utilities/evaluators/crew_evaluator_handler.py

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from collections import defaultdict
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, InstanceOf
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 from rich.box import HEAVY_EDGE
 from rich.console import Console
 from rich.table import Table
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ class CrewEvaluator:
     def __init__(
         self,
         crew: Crew,
-        eval_llm: InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | str | None = None,
+        eval_llm: BaseLLM | str | None = None,
         openai_model_name: str | None = None,
-        llm: InstanceOf[BaseLLM] | str | None = None,
+        llm: BaseLLM | str | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         self.crew = crew
         self.llm = eval_llm

lib/crewai/tests/agents/test_agent.py

@@ -1692,9 +1692,27 @@ def test_agent_with_knowledge_sources_works_with_copy():
         ) as mock_knowledge_storage:
             from crewai.knowledge.storage.base_knowledge_storage import BaseKnowledgeStorage
 
-            mock_knowledge_storage_instance = mock_knowledge_storage.return_value
-            mock_knowledge_storage_instance.__class__ = BaseKnowledgeStorage
-            agent.knowledge_storage = mock_knowledge_storage_instance
+            class _StubStorage(BaseKnowledgeStorage):
+                def search(self, query, limit=5, metadata_filter=None, score_threshold=0.6):
+                    return []
+
+                async def asearch(self, query, limit=5, metadata_filter=None, score_threshold=0.6):
+                    return []
+
+                def save(self, documents):
+                    pass
+
+                async def asave(self, documents):
+                    pass
+
+                def reset(self):
+                    pass
+
+                async def areset(self):
+                    pass
+
+            mock_knowledge_storage.return_value = _StubStorage()
+            agent.knowledge_storage = _StubStorage()
 
             agent_copy = agent.copy()
 

lib/crewai/tests/knowledge/test_knowledge_storage_integration.py

@@ -132,12 +132,12 @@ def test_embedding_configuration_flow(
 
     embedder_config = {
         "provider": "sentence-transformer",
-        "model_name": "all-MiniLM-L6-v2",
+        "config": {"model_name": "all-MiniLM-L6-v2"},
     }
 
-    KnowledgeStorage(embedder=embedder_config, collection_name="embedding_test")
+    storage = KnowledgeStorage(embedder=embedder_config, collection_name="embedding_test")
 
-    mock_get_embedding.assert_called_once_with(embedder_config)
+    mock_get_embedding.assert_called_once_with(storage.embedder)
 
 
 @patch("crewai.knowledge.storage.knowledge_storage.get_rag_client")

lib/crewai/tests/rag/test_error_handling.py

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
+from pydantic import ValidationError
+
 from crewai.knowledge.storage.knowledge_storage import (  # type: ignore[import-untyped]
     KnowledgeStorage,
 )
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ def test_knowledge_storage_invalid_embedding_config(mock_get_client: MagicMock)
             "Unsupported provider: invalid_provider"
         )
 
-        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unsupported provider: invalid_provider"):
+        with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
             KnowledgeStorage(
                 embedder={"provider": "invalid_provider"},
                 collection_name="invalid_embedding_test",