Chilimbi says the first step toward AI agents will likely be chatbots that proactively recommend products based on what they know of your habits and interests, as well as a grasp of broader trends. He acknowledges that making this feel nonintrusive will be crucial. “If it’s no good and annoying, then you’ll tune it out,” he says. “But if it comes up with surprising things that are interesting, you’ll use it more.”
Future AI agents might, for instance, navigate various websites to sort out a parking ticket, or they might operate a PC to file a tax return.
1995: Don’t buy books at the store, buy them online instead!
2001: Don’t buy electronics from stores, buy them online instead!
2004: Don’t buy any household goods at the store, buy them online instead!
2007: Don’t buy groceries at the store, buy them online instead!
2014: Don’t shop on your PC, tell this talking hockey puck what you want instead!
2018: Don’t bother telling the puck what you want every month, sign up for a subscription instead!
2024: Don’t shop, let the algorithm shop for you instead!
2027: Don’t go to the bank, let Amazon handle all your personal finances for you instead!
2038: Don’t manage your correspondences, appointments, social obligations, work, or personal hygiene yourself, let the Amazon Personal AutoSkeleton move you around and speak for you instead!
20X6: Don’t use your pathetic flesh prison, upload your consciousness to the Amazon Digital Brain Cloud instead!