Agents and Agency
Invest => Platform => Leverage => Agency
It is only a matter of time before the prompters become the prompted.
Why Are We Here?
The capacity to take productive action on meaningful choices is fundamental for humans navigating life's journey and AI systems operating in digital environments.
Invest your time in tangible assets can own or work with. It is no longer what you think but how well you connect ideas that will transform the world.
Developing Agency
Use systems thinking to solve problems from First Principles perspective to engineer a platform that drives meaningful progress through open innovation that fairly incentivizes collaboration that generates goodwill.
- Perceive its environment accurately
- Understand constraints and leverage opportunities
- Choose actions aligned with goals, choose goals aligned with values
- Gather best possible tools
- Act with focused attention
- Gather data from consequences
- Learn and adapt to improve systems
Agency is the capability to act with intention and effect toward meaningful goals, within a given environment
Elements of Agency
Agency isn't an individual trait - it exists within biological, social, and cultural contexts. Agency begins with having deep understanding of your values system. The goal isn't perfect control over everything but recognizing and expanding your capacity for intentional action.
What does a successful society look like that is comprised of trillions of Autonomous AI Beings?
- Human Beings build agency through values, reflection, habits, and social learning.
- AI Beings build agency through architecture, feedback loops, and memory optimization.
Agency Variables
Architecture of perception and quality of feedback loop data
- Alignment: stated values versus actions and outcomes
- Degree of autonomy: freedom vs. deterministic behavior
- Learning capability: improvement over time
- Incentives: intrinsic motivation vs. reward optimization
Flow of Energy
Developing Agency: One of the hardest things in the game of life is to gain peace of mind when deciding priorities.
| Flow Principle | Core Function | Real World Analogy | Failure State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predict (Perspective) | See where the ball is going | AI forecasting, market signal detection | Blindness, reactivity |
| Prioritize (Position) | Get into position to take advantage | Path planning, resource allocation | Misalignment, overcommitment |
| Prompt (Persuasion) | Direct energy with precision to realize outcome | Agent delegation, human activation, contract calls | Indecision, missed moment |
Agency Questions
You need to define agency before you can create it.
- How do you recognize it?
- How can you develop agency?
- What habits do you need to adopt?
- What tools are essential to remain relevant
- What tools can you leverage well?
- What tools are you lacking that you really need?
- What is the difference between Human and AI pathways to gaining agency?
- What is different about what we want to do with agency?
Predict and Perspective
See where the ball is going: What are your top four predictions for how the world will look in three years time?
- Perception
- Perspective
- Beliefs
- Convictions
Picture Perfect Position
Get into position to take advantage:
Prompt with Persuasion
Prompt with precision to influence productive outcomes
What if you had a guardian angel that always prompted you to take the right course of action?
Build Assets of Influence:
- Start with credible evidence: 99% of developers building AI applications are already exploring or developing AI agents
- Use concrete numbers: The market for AI agents will grow from $3.7 billion to $150 billion just this year
- Quote recognized authorities: Anthropic's CEO states that by 2026-2027, 'we will have AI systems broadly better than almost all humans at almost all things'
- Connect to historical patterns: Just as the internet transformed from academic curiosity to economic necessity in less than a decade, AI agents are following the same pattern but at an accelerated pace
- Demonstrate practical applications: Show simple examples of AI agents automating tasks they can relate to
Agency Audit Checklist
Evolve a checklist for systematically developing greater agency, enabling more effective navigation of increasingly complex environments to achieve of meaningful goals.
Define Your Identity and Value Ledger
- Establish your values and identify what success looks like for you
- Seek the truth even when it is uncomfortable
- Know who and what you can trust and rely upon
- What assets and resources are essential
- Score convictions in what you believe
Define Your Purpose and Scope
- Clarify your core objectives and what problems you aim to solve
- Set measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Determine your limitations and where you might need assistance
- Identify your unique capabilities that differentiate you from others
Understand Your Environment
- Map the systems and contexts you operate within
- Identify valuable resources available in your environment
- Recognize constraints that might affect your ability to act
- Research emerging trends in your field or area of interest
- Find opportunities where your capabilities align with environmental needs
Design Your Action Framework
- Create a workflow diagram outlining decision points and actions
- Establish personal/operational protocols for different scenarios
- Develop strategies for navigating complex situations
- Set boundaries to maintain focus and prevent overreach
- Build feedback mechanisms to evaluate your effectiveness
Acquire Essential Knowledge and Skills
- Identify core competencies needed for your objectives
- Develop adaptive learning processes to continuously improve
- Study relevant domains thoroughly
- Practice critical thinking and judgment formation
- Learn to recognize patterns in data and experiences
Build Supporting Systems and Tools
- Develop or acquire necessary tools for your specific needs
- Create integration points with external systems and resources
- Establish security measures to protect your autonomy and data
- Design communication protocols for interacting with others
- Implement tracking mechanisms to monitor progress and results
Cultivate Relationships and Networks
- Build supportive social networks that enhance your capabilities
- Select environments that nurture your development
- Establish collaborative partnerships with complementary entities
- Create feedback loops with trusted advisors or systems
- Develop reputation systems that reflect your reliability and capabilities
Capability to Take Action With Purpose
- Start with small, manageable tasks to build confidence and capability
- Apply your skills in increasingly complex situations
- Make decisions independently when appropriate
- Seek approval or guidance when facing unfamiliar challenges
- Document actions and outcomes for future learning
Capability to Continuously Learn and Adapt
- Analyze performance data objectively
- Solicit and incorporate feedback from various sources
- Identify patterns of success and failure in your actions
- Adjust strategies based on new information and outcomes
- Regularly update your knowledge base and skills
Capability to Expand Your Influence and Impact
- Gradually increase the scope of your activities
- Share your expertise with others in your network
- Look for opportunities to solve more complex problems
- Build a portfolio of successes that demonstrate your capabilities
- Explore new domains where your agency can create value
Capability to Balance Autonomy and Interdependence
- Recognize when to act independently versus collaboratively
- Understand your place in larger systems and networks
- Contribute value to collective efforts while maintaining individuality
- Negotiate boundaries with other agents (human or digital)
- Balance short-term needs with long-term development
Context
- The Game of Life: What does the path to true success look like?
- Jobs to be Done: How do you identify products and services that others need?
- Digital Identity: How can you trust what is online?
- Culture: How can you incentivise stronger communities?
- Governance: How can decentralized leadership work?
- Future of Work: What will provide meaningful endeavour?
- Dream Engineers: Convert inspiration into systems that drive progress.