What Is an AI Agent?
In this episode of AI + a16z, a16z Infra partners Guido Appenzeller, Matt Bornstein, and Yoko Li discuss and debate one of the tech industry's buzziest words right now: AI agents. The trio digs into the topic from a number of angles, including:
- Whether a uniform definition of agent actually exists
- How to distinguish between agents, LLMs, and functions
- How to think about pricing agents
- Whether agents can actually replace humans, and
- The effects of data siloes on agents that can access the web.
- They don't claim to have all the answers, but they raise many questions and insights that should interest anybody building, buying, and even marketing AI agents.
00:00:39 - How do we define “AI agents”
00:04:40 - Degrees of agentic behavior
00:09:34 - Can agents really replace humans?
00:15:32 - Is it agentic behavior or a software function?
00:18:46 - How should we price AI agents?
00:22:54 - Identifying true value
00:25:59 - Where do agent capabilities live?
00:29:40 - Agents vs. a hostile web
00:34:04 - What does success look like?
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Chapters (9)
0:39
How do we define “AI agents”
4:40
Degrees of agentic behavior
9:34
Can agents really replace humans?
15:32
Is it agentic behavior or a software function?
18:46
How should we price AI agents?
22:54
Identifying true value
25:59
Where do agent capabilities live?
29:40
Agents vs. a hostile web
34:04
What does success look like?
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DeepCamp AI