How AI Agents are Reshaping the Future of Web3? Delphi Digital Interviews ai16z Founder Shaw

Introduction

The AI Agent is making a strong impact in this round of the crypto cycle, and Shaw, the founder of ai16z and Eliza, has undoubtedly seized this trend. ai16z is the first on-chain fund with an AI Meme theme, which has grown to become an AI DAO with a market value exceeding $2.5 billion on Solana in just a few months. Eliza is a multi-agent simulation framework that supports developers in creating, deploying, and managing autonomous AI Agents.

Recently, Tom Shaughnessy, co-founder of Delphi Digital, and Ejazz from 26 Crypto Capital had an in-depth interview with Shaw, discussing important topics such as the practical considerations of AI Agents and future developments. This article summarizes their conversation, hoping to give readers a glimpse into the future landscape of AI + Web3.

Main Highlights

• The creation of Eliza Labs and the rapid development of ai16z
• In-depth exploration of various aspects of the Eliza framework technology
• Analysis of agency platforms and the transition from garbage bots to utilities
• Discussion on token economics and value capture mechanisms
• Explore cross-chain development and blockchain selection
• The vision of open-source AGI and the future of AI agents

Entrepreneurial Experience and Journey in Asia

Shaw shared his entrepreneurial experiences, including the setbacks faced by early open source projects, as well as the process of later focusing on AI Agent research. He mentioned that he has recently been in close contact with developer communities across Asia and has seen many interesting projects, particularly being interested in the application prospects of combining AI Agents with DeFi.

Discussion on Use Cases and Practicality of AI Agent + DeFi Integration

Shaw believes that the most promising Agent applications currently include Agents that can help users make money, Agents that can bring products to the right customers, and Agents that can save users time. He is particularly optimistic about applications in the DeFi sector, as there are many arbitrage opportunities in DeFi, but the barriers to entry are relatively high.

Shaw mentioned that LLM is currently not suitable for direct trading, but if there are appropriate APIs to obtain market intelligence, it can make reasonable judgments. The value of LLM lies in converting unstructured data into structured data.

The Value of the Agent Framework and the Advantages of Eliza Development

Shaw emphasized that Eliza provides an end-to-end solution that greatly lowers the development threshold. Developers only need to focus on the product itself, as Eliza offers simple abstractions for input and output. Compared to other frameworks, Eliza supports more features, such as speech-to-text, PDF processing, and more.

The Vision of Open Source AGI and the Future of AI Agents

Shaw believes that open-source AGI is essentially a form of the internet, a system composed of numerous agents. With the competition among various companies, the models gradually become more efficient, and open-source allows more developers to participate, all of which drive the emergence of superintelligence.

Discussion on Token Economics and Value Capture Mechanisms

Shaw indicated that the token economic model of ai16z needs to continuously evolve. The current Launchpad is just the initial version, and in the future, they will look for new ways to enhance token value, such as increasing long-term yield pressure. He hopes to drive the project beyond a simple model toward a larger vision.

Exploring Cross-Chain Development and Blockchain Choices

Regarding the choice of which chain to develop AI agents on, Shaw believes the best strategy is to cover all platforms, observe where users are, and then provide services there. He hopes that in the future, agents will blur the differences between chains, and tokens will frequently bridge across different chains.

The Transition from Garbage Bots to Utilities

Shaw expects that we will soon enter a new phase, where "high-performance Agents" capable of executing efficient and practical tasks will emerge. He believes there is still significant development space for Agents in the DeFi field, and more useful Agents will appear in the future. At the same time, an Agent verification system may emerge to help users understand the details and credibility of Agents.