Latest news with #HumanAlways
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beyond the Hype: AI, AR, Spatial Computing and the Next Wave of Innovation
On this TechMagic greatest hits episode, hosts Cathy Hackl and Lee Kebler welcome AI thought leader Sandy Carter, author of AI First, Human Always, and COO of Unstoppable Domains for a deep dive into AI-driven leadership and technological transformation. They break down the latest innovations, from Apple's Vision Pro developer workshop to Meta's bold moves in AR and spatial computing. Sandy shares expert insights on how business leaders can embrace AI while staying human-centric. Plus, hear exclusive details on her upcoming SXSW keynote. Whether you're an entrepreneur, tech enthusiast, or AI pioneer, this episode is packed with game-changing knowledge you won't want to miss. Come for the Tech, stay for the Magic! AI's Role in Job Transformation - Sandy Carter explains that AI will reshape 60-70% of jobs rather than eliminate them. She highlights how businesses can use AI to enhance human capabilities, sharing real-world examples like a spa leveraging AI agents for personalized treatment recommendations to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. Inside Apple's Vision Pro Developer Workshop - Cathy Hackl shares her firsthand experience at Apple's Vision Pro developer event, discussing new spatial computing innovations and how businesses can prepare for the next wave of immersive technology. She explores how VisionOS is shaping the future of content creation and user engagement. Developing an AI-First Leadership Mindset - Sandy emphasizes that leaders should integrate AI into daily workflows, ensuring every team member has an AI assistant by year-end. She provides a framework for evaluating AI's reliability, using supply chain accuracy as an example of how minor AI miscalculations can lead to major financial impacts. Meta's Latest Moves in AR and AI - Lee Kebler breaks down Meta's latest announcements, including its $50 million creator fund for Horizon Worlds and advancements in AR glasses. He explores what these developments mean for businesses and content creators looking to stay ahead in the spatial computing revolution. Debunking AI Myths at SXSW - Sandy previews her upcoming South by Southwest keynote, where she will tackle the top 10 myths about AI through live demonstrations and surprise guest appearances. She aims to bridge the gap between AI hype and real-world applications, ensuring leaders can make informed, strategic decisions about AI adoption.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Agents With Crypto Wallets Now Transforming Company Structures
I just published AI First, Human Always —and built my own AI Agent to accompany the book. I did this to get my hands dirty with agent platforms and add real value for my readers. AI Agents are already weaving themselves into the org charts of small startups, mid‑market firms and global enterprises alike. The global AI agents market is projected to grow from USD 5.1 billion in 2024 to USD 47.1 billion by 2030—a blistering CAGR of 44.8%. And according to Deloitte, 25% of enterprises using AI will deploy AI Agents by 2025, with that share doubling to 50% by 2027 . Now we're even seeing AI Agents with their own crypto wallets—managing micro‑payments, tokenized services and automated transaction workflows across the business. In today's fast‑paced digital economy, businesses are racing to automate repetitive tasks, accelerate decision‑making, and unlock new revenue streams. At the heart of this transformation lies the concept of AI Agents—software entities that perceive their environment, make decisions to achieve specific goals, and execute actions with a degree of autonomy. Unlike traditional chatbots or rule‑based scripts, AI Agents combine machine learning, natural‑language understanding, and decision‑theoretic planning to adapt to changing circumstances and even collaborate with other agents. Before exploring how to equip AI Agents with crypto wallets, it's worth pausing to understand why these autonomous helpers are becoming indispensable across industries. Whether you're a lean startup or a global enterprise, AI Agents deliver four core advantages that translate directly into competitive edge and bottom‑line impact: 1. 24/7 Scalability AI Agents never sleep. While your human team clocks out, agents continue to monitor customer inquiries, process invoices, and track supply‑chain events—ensuring no ticket goes unresolved, no payment window closes, and no shipment goes untracked. This around‑the‑clock vigilance isn't just 'nice to have'; it's the new baseline for operational excellence. 2. Data‑Driven Agility Today's businesses live and die by their ability to act on real‑time insights. By ingesting streams from sales dashboards, market feeds, and IoT sensors, AI Agents detect emerging patterns—whether it's a sudden spike in demand or a supplier delay—and execute predefined actions (e.g., reordering stock, hedging currency risk) in seconds. In markets that move at light speed, this agility can make all the difference. 3. Cost Savings Manual back‑office work—compliance reviews, expense audits, routine reporting—consumes valuable headcount and introduces human error. Offloading these repetitive tasks to AI Agents slashes labor costs and error rates, while freeing your team to focus on strategic initiatives like product innovation, customer experience, and growth planning. 4. New Revenue Models Perhaps the most transformational benefit is the ability to monetize agentic workflows. By tokenizing services and embedding micro‑payments or smart‑contract triggers, companies can launch 'Agent‑as‑a‑Service' offerings, bill usage‑based workflows in real time, or create loyalty ecosystems powered by on‑chain incentives. In effect, AI Agents become not just cost‑cutters but profit‑drivers. Integrating AI Agents into your business isn't just a tech novelty—it's a strategic imperative. These autonomous helpers work around the clock to handle routine tasks, analyze live data streams, and free your teams to focus on high‑impact work. And when you grant them crypto wallets, they can even transact, invest and manage value without manual intervention—unlocking new efficiency and revenue streams. Here's how a conversation might go when a manager first brings an AI Agent into the org chart: Manager: I've got 500 supplier invoices piling up this morning—our team can't keep Agent: I've already processed 120 invoices, identified duplicates, and flagged ten for manual review. Would you like me to schedule payments?Manager: Absolutely. Let's test you on small payouts first. Fund your wallet with 2 ETH so you can auto‑settle vendor Agent: Wallet funded. I'll monitor each due date and execute payments in USDC when the exchange rate falls below our 1.5% slippage Perfect. And while you're at it, can you scan our IoT network for maintenance alerts?AI Agent: On it. I'll reroute any flagged alerts to your dashboard and reorder spare parts if stock drops under our safety That's incredible—you're already saving us hours of work and reducing payment Agent: My goal is to optimize cash flow and operational uptime. Just let me know if you want to adjust any parameters. In this snippet, you see how quickly an AI Agent can become a true partner—managing finances, operations and strategic alerts in one seamless flow. That's the future of work, today. Yes, I challenged my team to have an AI Agent working for them by the end of the year. Imagine a marketing department where humans and AI aren't rivals, but true collaborators—each with defined strengths and responsibilities. I recently spoke with an amazing trial blazer and one of the 50 CMOs to Watch in 2024, Liza Adams, who is doing helping companies add AI agents to their organization charts now. She helped turn a lean team of 25 marketers into a 45‑member powerhouse by adding 20 AI 'teammates,' each specialized in tasks from campaign mapping to landing‑page optimization. The result? Faster execution, richer insights, and more capacity for creative strategy. To make this concrete, Liza Adams put together a visual org chart that maps exactly how human roles and AI tools can interlock. Use this as a blueprint: assign your senior marketers to oversee strategy and relationships, while AI agents tackle high‑volume analysis, content ideation, and performance tuning. By clearly delineating who does what—whether it's your Brand Manager working alongside 'R2‑D2 GPT' for topic ideation, or your Demand Gen lead collaborating with 'Chewie GPT' on campaign performance—you create a rhythm where people focus on impact and AI focuses on scale. But now let's look at the powerhouse of an AI Agent owning its own wallet. By outfitting AI agents with their own wallets, we elevate them into fully autonomous economic actors. For instance, a bank‑teller agent can verify a customer's account balance, calculate and disburse a loan payment in USDC, then record the transaction on‑chain without human intervention. A retail customer‑service agent might automatically process a return, issue a refund in stablecoins, and reward loyal shoppers with tokenized discount vouchers. Meanwhile, a marketing agent can mint access‑tokens that unlock campaign analytics dashboards, pay influencers their earned commissions in ERC‑20 tokens, and settle platform fees—all governed by predefined rules. Anchoring every action are secure on‑chain identities that bind each agent to a verifiable wallet address, ensuring transparency and full auditability across the board. is at the forefront of agentic AI communication and autonomous asset management with its flagship AgentWorks™ platform. By seamlessly integrating discovery, verification, messaging, identity, and commerce, Synergetics provides enterprises with everything they need to deploy and monetize intelligent agents at scale. AI Agents can be built using AgentWorks, or onboarded from other popular frameworks such as LangChain or CrewAI using AgentWizard. Once onboarded, agents become interoperable with one another - a missing link in the industry that Synergetics has resolved. Organizations can discover, verify, and onboard AI agents through a secure, permissioned directory. It also always allows AI agents to connect to websites, Decentralized Apps and Metaverses. Equipped with these new capabilities, AI Agents can now communicate with other AI Agents using their patented technology to establish end‑to‑end encrypted, peer‑to‑peer messaging—ensuring every instruction and data exchange remains confidential and tamper‑proof. It extends Google's A2A protocol and leverages the popular Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard to access APIs and Data sources across the Internet. Each agent is then issued a dedicated wallet and on‑chain identity via AgentWallet, binding its digital actions to a verifiable .TWIN domain, which serves as a digital identity for the Agent (note: this was done with my employer Unstoppable). This not only guarantees accountability but also unlocks direct economic interaction. Finally, AgentMarket serves as a decentralized marketplace where companies can list, subscribe to, or even monetize their agents, opening new revenue streams through usage‑based billing and tokenized service offerings. 'This is the first time AI agents can act independently and securely on‑chain with a digital identity that is verifiable and usable,' said Raghu Bala, Founder and CEO of 'We're giving agents a passport, a wallet, and a voice in the new digital economy.' Looking ahead, Synergetics projects a $70 billion market for agentic AI communications by 2030. For businesses exploring autonomous finance, Synergetics offers a complete, end‑to‑end solution—from secure inter‑agent messaging to full wallet custody and marketplace monetization. ASI Alliance Wallet is a non‑custodial crypto wallet 'enhanced with AI integration,' available as mobile and browser extensions. Agents on the network can hold tokens, stake in governance, and trigger transactions—blurring the line between software agents and economic participants. SingularityNET operates a decentralized AI Services Marketplace, where enterprises and developers pay for AI calls using their token. Payments can be funneled via MetaMask or even fiat‑on‑ramps, with the token serving both as the utility token for transactions and a governance token for platform decisions. Begin by identifying high‑volume, rule‑based processes in your organization—such as invoice processing, compliance reviews, or routine supplier payments—that are prime candidates for automation. Once you've pinpointed these tasks, evaluate different AI agent platforms based on their wallet support, interoperability (for example, compatibility with protocols like AgentTalk), and the strength of their marketplace ecosystems. With a clear shortlist, launch a small‑scale pilot in a testnet environment: grant your agents limited funds to execute chores like automated supplier disbursements or refund processing. This controlled approach lets you validate functionality without exposing live capital. As your pilot progresses, implement robust monitoring and governance: deploy oversight dashboards to track each agent's wallet activity, enforce spending limits via smart‑contract rules, and conduct regular performance audits. Use these insights to refine agent behaviors and risk parameters. Once you're confident in their reliability, gradually expand agent responsibilities into revenue‑generating workflows—whether that's offering tokenized services on your own platform or executing simple DeFi strategies to optimize idle funds. By progressing in measured stages, you'll build trust in autonomous agents and unlock their full potential across your business. Agentic AI is all about giving software the freedom to think, learn, and act on its own—so your digital helpers don't just follow rules, they improve over time and collaborate seamlessly. By starting with a small, low‑risk pilot, building in strong security checks, and choosing platforms that let your agents talk to one another, you'll lay the groundwork for fully autonomous workflows that boost efficiency and unlock new revenue streams. The future of AI isn't just about smarter tools; it's about orchestrated, self‑driving teams. And technology that converges AI and crypto and blockchain. Are you ready for what's next? Did you enjoy this story on AI Agents and crypto wallets? Don't miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Shopify's Top 10 AI Tips: Why Crypto And All Biz Must Think AI First
Shopify could have been a feature in my AI First, Human Always book! When I first decided to write my latest book, AI First, Human Always, back in February, it was clear that simply writing about AI wasn't going to be enough. I was writing about AI First, and so I wanted to be AI First. I had to fully embrace AI not just as a tool, but as an integral teammate. So I set myself a bold challenge: create an AI Agent specifically designed to help readers more effectively consume my book, gain access to continuously refreshed insights from my latest research and articles, and guide them directly to content tailored to their interests, whether they're in financial services, running a small business, or leading marketing initiatives. Shopify went even further! Yesterday, a leaked internal memo from Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, which further validated my decision and underscored the urgency of embracing AI on a larger scale. The memo's headline immediately grabbed my attention: "Hire an AI before you hire a human." This was not just another passing business trend; it was a seismic shift in organizational thinking. If Shopify, a $100 billion company, was embedding AI agents deeply into their organizational structure, it was clear to me—and should be to everyone—that it was time to pay close attention. David Armano, CX Strategist, Digital Innovator at NTT Data wrote, 'It's a remarkable glimpse at a company that is going all in on #AI. This isn't just about increasing AI literacy as a nice to have, this is about integrating AI into the fabric of the organization. This reminds me of Facebook's pivot to become a mobile-first company, only we know AI is even more of a game changer.' Armano's words resonated deeply with my own experience. Shopify's memo wasn't just theoretical—it mirrored the practical transformation that AI First companies go through. What's particularly fascinating is how this AI-first approach parallels the evolution we've seen in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Much like how Web3 technologies have shifted from experimental novelties to essential infrastructure, AI is following a similar trajectory of integration into core business operations. In fact, many of the most innovative players in the crypto space have already been implementing AI agents to enhance their decentralized applications. Smart contracts—the backbone of blockchain functionality—are increasingly being augmented with AI capabilities to create more adaptive, responsive systems that can learn from network interactions while maintaining the security and transparency blockchain provides. Here are ten critical takeaways from Shopify's memo that every leader needs to consider: This transformation mirrors what's happening at the intersection of blockchain and AI. Forward-thinking crypto projects are no longer simply creating tokens or basic smart contracts—they're developing AI-enhanced decentralized systems that can evolve and adapt to market conditions while maintaining the immutable trust layer blockchain provides. Blockchain and AI are stronger together. Consider how DeFi platforms are now incorporating AI agents to optimize yield strategies, analyze on-chain data for enhanced security, and provide personalized financial recommendations while preserving user privacy. These aren't just incremental improvements—they represent a fundamental reimagining of what's possible when decentralized systems gain intelligence. The combination of transparent, trustless blockchain infrastructure with adaptive, learning AI systems creates a powerful synergy that's greater than the sum of its parts. Organizations that understand and leverage both technologies will have a significant competitive advantage in the coming years. The Shopify memo didn't just echo my experiences—it amplified them. Inspired by this convergence. I challenged my team to have at least one AI agent supporting your role. No matter if you're in insurance analyzing customer data, in crypto decoding market fluctuations, or in any industry at all—adopting an AI-first mindset is not just strategic; it's essential. Reflecting on my journey, I'm convinced that embracing AI doesn't diminish our humanity—it enhances it. AI enables us to dive deeper into the human elements of our work, fostering innovation, strategic thinking, and meaningful engagement. In fact, embracing AI helped me and my team discover new ways of working collaboratively, shifting our focus from mundane tasks to truly meaningful activities. AVA facilitated deeper conversations, smarter decisions, and more impactful outcomes, proving AI's value beyond productivity gains—it helped reshape our culture towards continuous innovation and learning. If your business is still treating AI as an afterthought, it's time for a mindset shift. The future will belong to those who recognize AI not just as a useful technology, but as a trusted colleague integral to their operations. Integrating AI intelligently isn't about losing our humanity, but about empowering it. The question is no longer whether you should invite AI into your workflow. The real question is, how soon can you welcome AI onto your team like Shopify has? Did you enjoy this story about Shopify? Don't miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Shopify's AI Strategy: Why Crypto & Every Biz Must Think AI First
Shopify could have been a feature in my AI First, Human Always book! When I first decided to write my latest book, AI First, Human Always, back in February, it was clear that simply writing about AI wasn't going to be enough. I was writing about AI First, and so I wanted to be AI First. I had to fully embrace AI not just as a tool, but as an integral teammate. So I set myself a bold challenge: create an AI Agent specifically designed to help readers more effectively consume my book, gain access to continuously refreshed insights from my latest research and articles, and guide them directly to content tailored to their interests, whether they're in financial services, running a small business, or leading marketing initiatives. Shopify went even further! Yesterday, a leaked internal memo from Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, which further validated my decision and underscored the urgency of embracing AI on a larger scale. The memo's headline immediately grabbed my attention: "Hire an AI before you hire a human." This was not just another passing business trend; it was a seismic shift in organizational thinking. If Shopify, a $100 billion company, was embedding AI agents deeply into their organizational structure, it was clear to me—and should be to everyone—that it was time to pay close attention. David Armano, CX Strategist, Digital Innovator at NTT Data wrote, 'It's a remarkable glimpse at a company that is going all in on #AI. This isn't just about increasing AI literacy as a nice to have, this is about integrating AI into the fabric of the organization. This reminds me of Facebook's pivot to become a mobile-first company, only we know AI is even more of a game changer.' Armano's words resonated deeply with my own experience. Shopify's memo wasn't just theoretical—it mirrored the practical transformation that AI First companies go through. What's particularly fascinating is how this AI-first approach parallels the evolution we've seen in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Much like how Web3 technologies have shifted from experimental novelties to essential infrastructure, AI is following a similar trajectory of integration into core business operations. In fact, many of the most innovative players in the crypto space have already been implementing AI agents to enhance their decentralized applications. Smart contracts—the backbone of blockchain functionality—are increasingly being augmented with AI capabilities to create more adaptive, responsive systems that can learn from network interactions while maintaining the security and transparency blockchain provides. Here are ten critical takeaways from Shopify's memo that every leader needs to consider: This transformation mirrors what's happening at the intersection of blockchain and AI. Forward-thinking crypto projects are no longer simply creating tokens or basic smart contracts—they're developing AI-enhanced decentralized systems that can evolve and adapt to market conditions while maintaining the immutable trust layer blockchain provides. Blockchain and AI are stronger together. Consider how DeFi platforms are now incorporating AI agents to optimize yield strategies, analyze on-chain data for enhanced security, and provide personalized financial recommendations while preserving user privacy. These aren't just incremental improvements—they represent a fundamental reimagining of what's possible when decentralized systems gain intelligence. The combination of transparent, trustless blockchain infrastructure with adaptive, learning AI systems creates a powerful synergy that's greater than the sum of its parts. Organizations that understand and leverage both technologies will have a significant competitive advantage in the coming years. The Shopify memo didn't just echo my experiences—it amplified them. Inspired by this convergence. I challenged my team to have at least one AI agent supporting your role. No matter if you're in insurance analyzing customer data, in crypto decoding market fluctuations, or in any industry at all—adopting an AI-first mindset is not just strategic; it's essential. Reflecting on my journey, I'm convinced that embracing AI doesn't diminish our humanity—it enhances it. AI enables us to dive deeper into the human elements of our work, fostering innovation, strategic thinking, and meaningful engagement. In fact, embracing AI helped me and my team discover new ways of working collaboratively, shifting our focus from mundane tasks to truly meaningful activities. AVA facilitated deeper conversations, smarter decisions, and more impactful outcomes, proving AI's value beyond productivity gains—it helped reshape our culture towards continuous innovation and learning. If your business is still treating AI as an afterthought, it's time for a mindset shift. The future will belong to those who recognize AI not just as a useful technology, but as a trusted colleague integral to their operations. Integrating AI intelligently isn't about losing our humanity, but about empowering it. The question is no longer whether you should invite AI into your workflow. The real question is, how soon can you welcome AI onto your team like Shopify has? Did you enjoy this story about Shopify? Don't miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.
