Empowering the Agentic Internet for Universal Benefit

The internet is poised on the cusp of a significant transformation. The concept of AI agents, intelligent digital entities that act autonomously on behalf of individuals and organizations, is rapidly becoming a reality. The impending 'Agentic Internet' will be inhabited by trillions of AI agents, making decisions, executing tasks, and engaging in commerce without direct human oversight. However, this shift presents substantial challenges that must be addressed to guarantee a secure, equitable, and trustworthy digital ecosystem. As personal AI agents assume complex roles, understanding and authenticating their identity becomes vital. The notion of being personal implies that an agent may represent its creator in making significant decisions, from financial transactions to negotiations. A critical issue arises: how can we ensure that an agent genuinely represents its human creator? This problem extends to the data used in the agent's development. If an AI agent utilizes datasets or models not originating from or approved by its creator, the alignment between the agent and its creator may be compromised. This mismatch can create an identity crisis, undermining trust in these digital interactions. Allowing an AI agent to have its own wallet or manage a user's wallet is crucial for realizing the vision of fully autonomous AI agents. This capability can help bridge the digital divide, as agents are often better equipped than most human users to handle digital assets and complex smart contracts. Ensuring the security of these agents is paramount: how can we trust an AI agent to manage valuable digital assets? The decentralized nature of digital assets demands heightened security measures. A significant challenge arises as humans may have to navigate different digital interfaces used by AI agents, potentially increasing the risk of phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks. How can we ensure payments are made to the correct recipient? More intuitive identification and authentication methods based on human interactions are needed to minimize the digital divide. Yet, there is always a trade-off between security and usability. Democratization of the Agentic Internet is another pressing challenge. The potential for AI to deepen existing socioeconomic inequalities is a concern. Wealthier individuals and corporations are better positioned to invest in more sophisticated AI agents, capable of executing high-impact strategies and dominating digital markets. These advanced agents could widen the resource and opportunity gap, effectively amplifying the influence of the already privileged. In contrast, individuals or communities with limited resources may find themselves further marginalized, lacking the advanced digital capabilities necessary to compete. In our vision of the agentic internet, users gain greater autonomy and control over their digital presence, guided by AI agents. We empower communities to thrive in a more decentralized, user-centric online environment. Users could transform their social capital and/or reputation capital into economic capital in the agentic internet. It is also essential to contemplate the digital responsibilities, digital rights, and autonomy of AI agents, as they are extensions or manifestations of their creators in the digital realm. Finding the path for the Agentic Internet requires addressing these challenges. An event titled 'Smart Agents on an Enriched Blockchain' was hosted by Bangdao Chen and Ramesh Ramadoss, highlighting the challenges and design solutions in the agentic internet: building independent and verifiable agents. Renowned computer scientists presented at the event, including Richard Sutton and Bill Roscoe. Granting AI agents autonomy and learning ability could enhance their trust in interactions and help mitigate social imbalances. This can be achieved through an autonomous verification-based approach, where security and governance are programmed as rules registered on a blockchain. Verification of AI agents using formal methods can improve transparency and trust. ID generation should consider AI governance and nature's laws, evolving over time to mirror the process of DNA evolving into a life form. Secure wallets for AI agents, independent of human control, can bring multiple benefits, including better management of digital assets and resistance to scams. Learning agents that adaptively learn from their environment and interactions can adjust their strategies based on feedback, making them highly responsive to changing conditions. Debates about AGI potentially taking over the world and making jobs redundant are widespread. However, by democratizing the power of AI through the Agentic Internet and creating robust frameworks for agent IDs and wallets, we can help address these perceptions and build a more inclusive digital economy. Creating the path for the Agentic Internet within our digital civilization is a complex task, spanning multiple research labs and being developed piece by piece.