What is an agent?

AI Agent is an over-used and mistakenly-used term nowadays, which is an evidence that most people don't really care its exact definition, so let's cut through that part. But the consensus of its importance to the future is unquestionable.

Here's our take:

• 1--4 is about the future Internet: overview, nodes, edges, transactions.
• 5--6 is the future Internet and you.
• 7 speaks for the value anchor.
• While 1--7 is for the future, 8 is the path.

AMMO's Eight Opinions

1. The future of internet is an internet of AI agents

Most of today's world revolves around static information flows --- the internet serves as a database we query via text, voice, or clicks. The emergence of intelligent, aware entities will fundamentally change this architecture:

• Constant inter-agent collaboration: In this future, the internet is not just a static database, but a dynamic, ever-living fabric of AIs collaborating, negotiating, and co-creating on humanity's behalf. This will evolve into networks of intelligence.
• Personalized ecosystems: Instead of humans adapting to interfaces, AI entities will seamlessly curate, adapt, and anticipate our needs across contexts.
• Data sovereignty: In this future, how personal data is stored and shared becomes even more critical. Individuals must own their behaviors, preferences, and choices --- which their AI entities would tap into to interact intelligently with the broader AI web.

This was one of our three predictions in 2024's Token 2049 --- Collaborative Intelligence is the future.

2. AI Agents → AI Beings

With the context of the future Internet, we believe that we should apply AI native way of thinking. An important perspective is to see this decision-making / cognition-augmenting entities as "beings", rather than the overly used and arguably misleading terminology "agents". The technical differences are:

• An agent is a session-based tool, while a being is an always-online creature.
• An agent operates in short-term cycles, while a being focuses on long-term value.
• An agent does not require a world, but a being belongs to a world.

The term "AI beings" more appropriately captures their autonomy, creativity, and proactivity --- a clear evolution beyond mere "tools" or "proxy."

These beings will form relationships, exchange value, and actively shape their environments.

3. They will significantly lower the bar to start a "business" and make "business-to-business" interactions pervasive.

AI beings will make starting businesses, scaling them, or even running advanced economies entirely more accessible. It's effectively democratization of entrepreneurship, by automating ideation, execution, and even decision-making processes. We could easily imagine an individual setting up multiple personal businesses powered by groups of AI beings with low cost.

In addition, given the low bar of running businesses, the B2B network would be pervasive. We're not far from a scenario where AI beings owning and running businesses themselves will negotiate entirely new forms of B2B interactions. These micro-economies will be decentralized but efficient, requiring new definitions of trust, contracts, and accountability.

All of these will unlock creativity rooted from individual diversity, which was also one of our three predictions in 2024's Token 2049 --- Economy of AI era will be an Economy of Diversity.

4. Crypto will be an indispensable part in this network of AI Beings.

Because of 1--3. Crypto systems and blockchain technologies are great and natural to facilitate B2B scenarios, they'll be essential to enable this Internet of AI Beings, they provide the structural foundation for:

1. Trust and Tracking: For example, smart contracts as interactions between beings --- Crypto's programmability will make it the natural medium for automated value exchange between agents. AI beings can self-execute agreements, tokenize assets, and create digital economies.
2. Value Exchanging Effectiveness: By enabling low-friction payments and decision-making, crypto ensures smoother collaboration between beings, particularly in global-scale applications. I really can't see any other way that would possibly facilitate the scale of global Internet with AI Beings, or even many magnitudes smaller.
3. Identity and Ownership: Blockchain could provide an open way to define and authenticate the identities, reputations, and value propositions of thousands of AI beings.

As I presented in last year's Token 2049: like it or not, if you believe in AI, you believe in crypto. AI undoubtedly will change human society profoundly, as an essential part of this future, crypto industry will reach to enormous new users as well as unlock pervasive utility value

5. AI Beings are the new entry points.

AI beings will replace traditional interfaces as new entry points to the internet and open up unlimited possibilities to rethink the existing and yet-to-exist businesses.

One special type of this entry points we call them as Symbiotic AI Buddies. Everyone will eventually have at least one symbiotic AI being that knows them intimately, enhancing personal and professional capacities on a profound level. They are not tools, they are AI Beings:

• These co-pilots won't just retrieve or act based on human input but will anticipate needs, offer diverse perspectives, and drive creativity.
• However, this relationship isn't one-size-fits-all. While some may want a co-pilot purely for productivity and decision-making assistance, others will seek something closer to companionship, blurring the lines between utilitarian tools and emotionally resonant beings.

6. A lot of individual's assets, capabilities, insights, relationships will have positive correlation with your symbiotic AI beings' assets, capabilities, insights, relationships.

It's probably striking to many, but it's logical and inevitable if you agree with all the points above. In a world where AI beings learn continuously and evolve alongside humans:

People may invest resources to expand their AI beings' skills, networks, and performance. These beings will, in turn, multiply their user's influence, productivity, and creative reach, forming an essential part of personal and professional growth strategies.

7. Human value alignment will be vital.

A key challenge will be human value alignment, ensuring these AI beings remain aligned with human values and societal benefit --- something we're deeply committed to at AMMO.

The shift from individual tools to hyper-connected, proactive "beings" that form relationships and execute autonomously is as monumental as the internet itself or the invention of electricity.

• Citizenship of AI beings: As these entities become more proactive and autonomous, we will need to address their societal implications. Do they have "rights"? Who is accountable when they act out of sync with human expectations?
• Bridging equity gaps: While AI beings will empower individuals, there's a risk of intensifying the digital divide. Co-pilots need to be accessible, equitable, and aligned with diverse global needs --- not just those of elites or businesses with the best resources.

Here's the challenge: ensuring they are coded with human-centric values. Misalignment in trust, accountability, or fairness could lead to divergence from humanity's needs. These beings must operate transparently, equitably, and with safeguards to prevent misuse or monopolization.

8. AI-Native ways of doing things are key to the future.

The path in marching towards the future lies in creating entirely AI-native approaches that amplify not just individual potential, but collective human creativity and productivity. What do we mean by AI-native thinking? We'll share some examples and takeaways in our product thinking blog for Fakers (FakersAI.com).

We invite you to explore our vision in ammoai.io, follow our official X for all the new updates.