AI Agents and DAOs: Two Forms of Autonomous Will, Different Paths to the Same Goal

Author: chao Source: X, @chaowxyz

Continuing from yesterday's topic, AI Agents and DAOs—one driven by AI algorithms, the other by community consensus—may appear very different on the surface, but beneath the surface, they are two sides of the same coin—essentially, both are programs seeking to operate autonomously in the digital and even physical worlds.

On the surface, the biggest difference between the two lies in their decision-making mechanisms:

• AI Agents: Their will originates from machines. Decisions are based on their own algorithms, models, and pre-set goals, resulting in an independent, computationally driven autonomy.

• DAOs: Their will originates from the collective. Decision-making relies on hundreds or even thousands of human members behind the scenes, who, through proposals, discussions, and voting, form a collective will. Common Foundation: Challenges at the Execution and Legal Levels 1. The Core of Autonomous Execution Regardless of the decision-making process, their ultimate execution is similar: accomplished by a self-running piece of code. A DAO's smart contract automatically executes all approved proposals. An AI agent's core program automatically executes the decisions generated by its algorithm. At the execution level, they are both disembodied "machines" capable of autonomous action in the digital world. 2. Common Legal Dilemma Precisely because their "bodies" are code, they both face the common dilemma of being disconnected from the physical world. They cannot sign contracts in their own names, open bank accounts, or directly interact with the real-world legal and financial systems. Therefore, they both require a "legal interface" (e.g., a legal entity established for this purpose) to grant them the right to act in the real world. A Deeper Convergence: "Will" Defined by Code Let's return to the biggest difference between the two—the decision-making layer—and examine it from a deeper level. The true foundation of a DAO is its smart contract code. This code defines its core rules, incentive mechanisms, and governance processes. Like the DNA of an organism, it predefines the organization's most basic principles of survival and behavior. Rather than saying humans "decide," it's better to say they "respond." The DAO's rules create a powerful environment, or a "gravitational field." Within this field, the behavior of rational participants (to obtain rewards, avoid losses, or achieve common goals) is naturally guided in a certain direction, ultimately leading to consensus. Consensus doesn't emerge out of thin air; it's shaped within the "gravitational field" of rules. From this perspective, human members aren't operators standing outside the machine; rather, they're integrated into this grand machine, functioning as key components. Just as the brain requires neurons to transmit signals, the DAO machine requires human members to provide decision-making signals. The generation and transmission of these signals are already regulated by its underlying code. Just as an ant colony can build nests, forage for food, and defend itself against enemies, demonstrating astonishing collective intelligence, this will doesn't derive from the independent thought of any individual ant, but rather from the macroscopic behavior of all ants following simple chemical rules (releasing and following pheromones). Therefore, we can say that a DAO possesses autonomous will based on coded rules. However, this isn't a "computational will" rooted in individual thought, but rather an "emergent will" rooted in system design.

  Most AI agents and DAOs today are far from mature, but their development directions are converging. They are all exploring how to build a non-human, code-based autonomous entity.