Guiding the AI disruption to the Good Place

The true impact of AI does not lie in how well it takes tests or surfs the web, but in how effectively it teaches, coordinates, and operates in a web built for agents rather than humans. We anticipate the augmentation of workflows for AI, reduced communication frictions, and the rise of AI-powered intermediaries that better align markets with human goals. Our research examines how to guide this transition toward open, innovation-driven ecosystems, so that AI’s inevitable advance delivers broad-based welfare gains rather than locking society into narrow, walled gardens. Paper: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/magentic-marketplace-an-open-source-environment-for-studying-agentic-markets/ Article: https://cacm.acm.org/opinion/the-agentic-economy/ This session aired on May 14, 2026, at Microsoft Research Forum, Season 2 Episode 4. Register for the series to hear about new releases: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/event/microsoft-research-forum/?OCID=msr_researchforum_YTDescription Explore all previous episodes: https://aka.ms/researchforumYTplaylist