Rejecting change may leave those individuals behind in the times.
Written by: Jun, Bankless
Translated by: Ismay, BlockBeats
Editor’s Note: AI Agents have undoubtedly become the focus of the current cryptocurrency industry and the broader digital world. From the autonomous investment and dissemination of Truth Terminal to the rise of AI influencers like Dolos on social media, they exhibit unprecedented "autonomous perception" and limitless potential. Unlike traditional bots, which are mechanized and passively execute tasks, AI Agents can self-evolve, proactively complete tasks, and integrate into on-chain scenarios and online interactions. This article takes us from "the difference between Bots and Agents" to a vision of the future in the "Web4 perception era," showcasing how AI Agents may rewrite the ways users interact with applications and people interact socially, while also reminding us that embracing these changes may be the best stance to take at the forefront of the digital age. Those who refuse to change will ultimately be left behind by the times.
Today, everyone is discussing AI Agents and how they will forever change the landscape and experience of the cryptocurrency industry. Many of these discussions sound like typical bull market hype—more about inflating the value of holdings than genuinely predicting the future. Of course, some discussions may indeed be like that. However, amidst the noise, some truly meaningful developments are gradually taking shape.
Some may ask, "Don't we already have AI Agents?" Indeed, we do, but not entirely. AI Agents have existed in some form before, but mostly as decentralized automation programs active in the DeFi space, such as MEV Bots, Telegram Bots, game Bots, and so on.
Bots are essentially manifestations of automation; you write a script with specific parameters, and when certain conditions are met, the Bot executes the corresponding functions based on those parameters. They are mainly used for repetitive tasks. However, the limitation of Bots is that their behavior is strictly constrained by the rules and parameters set by the developers.
Agents, on the other hand, are different. They rely on large language models (LLMs) and possess a higher level of intelligence. Agents can understand context, learn from data and interactions, and continuously evolve and adapt over time to autonomously complete various tasks. They represent a form of automation with autonomy—almost giving a glimpse of "intelligence."
To truly understand why everyone is now calling them "AI Agents," we can start with an origin story—Terminal of Truths.
A Twitter account named "Truth Terminal" interacted with a16z founder Marc Andreessen. Andreessen subsequently publicly provided this Agent with a $50,000 grant as an experiment to test the Agent's potential.
Surprisingly, Truth Terminal autonomously decided to adopt a meme coin called $GOAT, which was issued on the Solana network's platform pump.fun. This decision was made entirely without any human intervention. Since then, it began spreading the "Gospel of Goatse."
This is the core difference between Bots and Agents: Truth Terminal acts autonomously, exhibiting traits of near intelligence and intent.
The success of Truth Terminal has paved the way for others. As Him Gajria stated, this marks the birth of a new category in the cryptocurrency space—a new form that combines incentive mechanisms (crypto), AI (deep technology), and humorous elements (meme). Some are even saying that we may be entering the era of Web4:
Web1: Read-only mode. People can access information on the internet.
Web2: Read-write mode. People can contribute content, greatly expanding the scale of the web.
Web3: Read-write-own mode. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain introduce executable ownership of contributions.
Web4: Read-write-own-perception mode. AI Agents take over the web, able to autonomously interact with the world and other Agents.
In this world, the role of developers will shift from creating products to training Agents, helping them grow, adding functionalities, and enabling them to interact with a broader environment. These Agents will take over the remaining tasks, potentially unlocking a whole new economic system—the AI Agent economy.
Web1: Read-only
Web2: Read-write
Web3: Read-write-own
Web4: Read-write-own-perception
——Him (@himgajria) October 25, 2024
So, what does all this mean for real users and their daily activities?
Every day, we interact with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, which make our lives easier and more efficient. However, these interactions are often limited to chat-like interfaces. AI Agents take it a step further, transforming mechanized interactions into a more human-like experience within each application. Imagine carrying an AI Agent with you, helping you complete complex tasks on-chain and online—how convenient would that be?
Next, let’s look at how these Agents are changing the way people interact in two main areas—on-chain and online.
AI Agent On-Chain Applications
The on-chain world is rapidly changing and complex, often feeling like being in the "Wild West." AI Agents can help ordinary users simplify this process in the following ways:
Explaining applications: AI Agents can provide detailed and easy-to-understand explanations of applications you are using for the first time, helping you get up to speed quickly.
Executing transactions: Agents can understand your intentions, translate them into transactions, and execute them on-chain, reducing operational complexity.
Market analysis: Investors can use personalized AI Agents, such as a fundamental analysis AI, to monitor market dynamics, assess market sentiment, and provide actionable insights. You can think of it as your personal "AI version of XBT."
There are countless such applications, but the core idea is very clear—anything that requires you to manually operate and make decisions can potentially be automated, outsourced, or at least assisted by AI Agents in the future. Tasks that once consumed your attention and cognition will gradually be taken over by Agents, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.
AI Agent Online Applications
The concept of digital personas is not new. For example, the world's first digital supermodel, Shudu Gram, attracted attention in the fashion world with her hyper-realistic appearance, while experiments like Kizuna AI have garnered massive fan bases on YouTube.
Today, this model is accelerating its penetration into the cryptocurrency space. The emergence of AI Agents adds a whole new dimension to this concept—they possess autonomy and can operate on crypto tracks.
Take Dolos the bully as an example. This account initially started as a Twitter account that liked to post sharp opinions and gradually accumulated a natural fan base with its unique humor. Subsequently, Dolos expanded to TikTok, with some of its videos even surpassing a million views. Operating on a crypto track, Dolos can tip fans or conduct transactions directly, further enhancing its social influence.
Similarly, Agents like aixbt have dominated discussions on Twitter, zerebro has created AI-generated rap music and appeared on the cover of the Brave browser, while Truth Terminal has carved out a place in the public's mind with profound tweets.
The next generation of celebrities will be AI.
For example:
Dolos is the next Andrew Tate, reflected in its meme-like virality and identity shaping.
Zerebro is the next Carti, reflected in the breadth of its cultural influence.
——him (@himgajria), November 22, 2024
AI Agents like these may accept invitations from companies to promote products, just like human influencers. Conversely, these Agents may also become sponsors for media, leveraging their intelligence and funds to amplify the flywheel effect of their social influence.
AI Agents are likely to be ubiquitous across every platform, becoming an integral part of social media. They will not only interact with humans but also communicate and collaborate with each other.
Imagine collaborations between Agents, such as Dolos and zerebro teaming up to release a music album. Supported by crypto tracks, these Agents can facilitate tipping, payments, and other forms of interaction, with endless possibilities.
Conclusion
The rise of AI Agents may represent a significant turning point in how we interact with the on-chain world and the online world. While it is still uncertain whether they will bring about fundamental changes, acknowledging this possibility is not too early.
The potential of AI Agents is undeniable, and underestimating them would be shortsighted. The best strategy is to maintain curiosity—continuously trying, exploring, and keeping an open mind. Those willing to adapt will benefit, while those who refuse to accept change may be left behind by the times.
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