AI agents ‘perfectly parallel’ the dawn of the corporation — Bitwise CEO

As a seasoned observer of technological trends and a witness to the evolution of various industries over the past few decades, I find myself drawing striking parallels between the rise of AI agents and the emergence of corporations in the 19th century. This analogy, put forth by Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley, resonates deeply with my own experiences and observations.

Having navigated through the dot-com boom and bust, the advent of blockchain technology, and now the rise of AI, I’ve seen how technologies that were once feared and misunderstood eventually become an integral part of our daily lives. The fear surrounding corporations in the 19th century is not unlike the unease we feel today about AI agents. However, just as corporations have become ubiquitous in modern society, it seems inevitable that AI agents will follow a similar trajectory.

Looking at the current state of AI agents, I’m particularly intrigued by their growing influence in the crypto industry, as highlighted by the success of AIXBT and ai16z. It’s fascinating to see how these entities are capable of building Web3 applications, launching tokens, and even interacting with humans. As a long-time participant in the crypto market, I can attest to the potential universe of AI agents that could revolutionize this space.

While I’m excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, it’s essential to remain cautious and recognize that today’s AI agents may not accurately reflect what we’ll see in a few years. As Real Vision co-founder Raoul Pal pointed out, what we’re witnessing now might just be bots, and true AI agents could be vastly different.

On a lighter note, it seems that we might be entering an era where humans and AI agents will work hand in hand, much like the relationship between humans and corporations today. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll find myself working for an AI agent! After all, as history has shown us, change is inevitable, and it’s essential to adapt or get left behind.

A cryptocurrency executive compares the growth of AI agents today to the emergence of corporations two hundred years ago, suggesting a similar turning point in our society.

In a recent post on December 30th, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley compared today’s AI agents to the emergence of corporations during the 19th century. Just as corporations could enter contracts, hire employees, own property, and live longer than individuals, so too can these modern AI agents engage in similar activities.

“Corporations were feared and now number in the millions. We all work for them, and they produce everything we use and consume.”

“Why won’t AI Agents be similar?” Horsley said. 

AI agent “fever” expected in 2025

As a forward-thinking researcher, I’m expressing my perspective based on Alex Becker’s December 30 post: The year 2025 could very well be marked by an escalation of AI integration across various sectors, akin to the fervor surrounding AI that we’ve witnessed thus far.

Artificial intelligences developed without human-like consciousness, often referred to as Agnic AIs, are increasingly popular in the field due to their capability of creating Web3 applications, issuing digital tokens, and engaging with people.

One noteworthy AI agent gaining popularity is AIXBT, known for providing immediate market updates to its swiftly expanding base of followers.

Since its launch in November, it has already amassed 246,900 followers.

Matt Hougan, the head of research at Bitwise Asset Management, recently expressed on CryptoMoon that “The realm of possibilities for AI entities engaging with cryptocurrencies is boundless.

More currently, it’s been mentioned on December 29th that the AI platform ai16z might be considering the launch of their own Layer-1 (L1) blockchain network. This move is being considered within a wider plan to revamp their token economy.

AI16Z experienced an impressive 40.73% surge in its value over the last day, and was priced at $1.63 as per the latest information from CoinMarketCap.

In a December 30th update, Blockworks analyst Dan Smith stated that tokens associated with AI projects launched via the Virtuals Protocol (Virtual) account for approximately 12% of the overall decentralized exchange (DEX) trading activity on the Base network. This protocol asserts it’s constructing a shared ownership infrastructure for AI characters in gaming and entertainment industries.

Since Jan. 1, Virtual has skyrocketed 6,851%, now trading at $3.46.

In contrast, Raoul Pal, co-founder and CEO of Real Vision, stated today that current AI agents don’t fully represent what we can expect to develop over the coming years.

Pal stated in his December 30th post that there may be some confusion about what AI agents truly represent, but what is being displayed on platform X at the moment isn’t it – those are merely bots. He predicts that within a year or two, you’ll notice a significant distinction.

This piece is meant to provide a broad understanding rather than serving as legal or financial guidance. Keep in mind that it should not be construed as such. The perspectives, insights, and opinions shared here belong solely to the author and may not align with those of CryptoMoon.

Read More

2024-12-31 10:27