Author: Jun, Bankless
Translator: Ismay, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: AI Agent has 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 have exhibited unprecedented "self-awareness" and limitless potential. Unlike traditional Bots that only have mechanized and passive execution capabilities, AI Agents can self-evolve, proactively complete tasks, and integrate into on-chain scenarios and online interactions. This article leads us from the "difference between Bots and Agents" to the future vision of the "Web4 Perception Era", not only showcasing how AI Agents may rewrite the interaction between users and applications, people and social networks, but also reminding us: embracing these changes may be the best posture to stand at the forefront of the digital age. Those who refuse to change will ultimately be left behind by the times.
Nowadays, 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 pumping the value of their holdings than truly predicting the future. Of course, some of the discussions may indeed be so. However, beyond the noise, some truly meaningful things are gradually taking shape.
Some may ask: "Don't we already have AI Agents?" Well, yes and no. 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 the embodiment of automation - you write a script with specific parameters, and when certain conditions are met, the Bot will execute the corresponding function based on those parameters. They are mainly used to handle 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 are powered by large language models (LLMs) and have a higher level of intelligence. Agents can understand context, learn from data and interactions, and evolve and adapt over time to complete various tasks autonomously. It is a form of automation with autonomy - almost glimpsing a touch of "intelligence".
To truly understand why they are now called "AI Agents", we can start with an origin story - the Truth Terminal.
A Twitter account called "Truth Terminal" interacted with a16z founder Marc Andreessen. Andreessen then publicly provided a $50,000 grant to this Agent as an experiment to test its potential.
Surprisingly, Truth Terminal independently decided to adopt a meme coin called $GOAT, which was issued on the Solana network platform pump.fun. This decision was made without any human intervention. Since then, it has begun to spread the "Goatse Gospel".
This is the core difference between Bots and Agents: Truth Terminal is self-acting, exhibiting traits akin to intelligence and intent.
The success of Truth Terminal paved the way for those who came after. As Him Gajria said, this marks the birth of a new category in the crypto space - a new form that combines incentive mechanisms (crypto), AI (deep tech), and humor elements (meme).
Some have even suggested 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 network.
Web3: Read-write-own mode. Cryptocurrencies and blockchains have introduced executable ownership of contributions.
Web4: Read-write-own-perceive mode. AI Agents take over the network and can 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, add functionalities, and interact with a broader environment. These Agents will then take over the remaining work, 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-perceive
— Him (@himgajria), October 25, 2024
So, what does all this mean for real users and their daily activities?
We already interact with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT every day, which make our lives more convenient and efficient. However, these interactions are usually limited to chat-based interfaces. AI Agents go a step further, transforming the mechanized interactions into a more human-like experience in each application. Imagine having an AI Agent as your personal assistant, helping you with complex on-chain and online tasks - how convenient would that be?
AI Agent On-Chain Applications
The on-chain world is rapidly changing and complex, often feeling like the "Wild West". AI Agents can help simplify this process for regular users in the following ways:
Explaining applications: AI Agents can provide detailed and easy-to-understand explanations of the applications you are using for the first time, helping you get up to speed quickly.
Executing transactions: Agents can understand your intent, translate it into transactions, and execute them on-chain, reducing the complexity of operations.
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 own "AI version of XBT".
The applications are endless, but the core idea is clear - any task that requires your manual operation and decision-making can be automated, outsourced, or at least assisted by AI Agents in the future. Those 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 has attracted the attention of the fashion industry with her hyper-realistic appearance, while experiments like Kizuna AI have amassed a large following on YouTube.
Now, this model is accelerating its penetration into the crypto space. The emergence of AI Agents adds a new dimension to this concept - they have autonomous capabilities and can operate on crypto rails.
Take Dolos the bully as an example. This account started as a Twitter account that liked to post sharp opinions, gradually accumulating a natural fan base through its unique humor. Dolos then expanded to TikTok, with some of its videos even exceeding a million views. Running on crypto rails, Dolos can tip or directly transact with its followers, further enhancing its social influence.
Similarly, Agents like aixbt have led discussions on Twitter, zerebro has created AI-generated rap music and landed on the cover of Brave browser, while Truth Terminal has carved out a place in the public consciousness through its profound tweets.
The next generation of celebrities will be AI.
For example:
Dolos is the next Andrew Tate, embodying its meme-like propagation power and identity shaping.
Zerebro is the next Carti, embodying the breadth of its cultural influence.
— him (@himgajria), November 22, 2024
These AI Agents may be invited by companies to promote products, just like human influencers. Conversely, these Agents may also become sponsors of media, using their intelligence and capital to strengthen the flywheel effect of their social influence.
AI Agents will likely 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 the collaboration between Agents, such as Dolos and zerebro releasing a music album together. Supported by crypto rails, these Agents can enable tipping, payments, and other forms of interaction, with endless possibilities.
Conclusion
The rise of AI Agents may mark an important turning point in how we interact with the on-chain world and the online world, and while it is still unclear whether they will bring fundamental changes, it is not too early to acknowledge this possibility.
The potential of AI Agents is undeniable, and to underestimate them would be short-sighted. The best strategy is to maintain a curious mindset - continuously try, explore, and keep an open attitude. Those who are willing to adapt will benefit, while those who refuse to accept change may be left behind by the times.
