[Long Tweet] AI Agent and DAO: Two Paths to Autonomous Operation

Chainfeeds Guide:

AI Agent and DAO—one driven by AI algorithms, the other by community consensus. On the surface, they appear vastly different, but if you look beyond appearances, you'll find they are two sides of the same coin—both fundamentally seek to achieve autonomous operation in the digital world and even in the real world.

Source:

Author:

chao

Opinion:

chao: On the surface, the biggest difference between the two lies in their decision-making mechanisms: the will of an AI Agent originates from the machine. Its decisions come from its own algorithms, models, and preset goals—an independent, computation-driven autonomy. The will of a DAO originates from the collective. Its decisions depend on hundreds or thousands of human members behind it, forming a collective will through proposals, discussions, and voting. The common foundation lies in the challenges of the execution and legal layers. Regardless of the decision-making process, their final execution is similar: both are carried out by autonomously running code. A DAO’s smart contract will automatically execute all proposals that pass the vote. The core program of an AI Agent will automatically execute decisions generated by its algorithms. Precisely because their “bodies” are code, both face the common dilemma of being disconnected from the physical world. They cannot sign contracts, open bank accounts, or directly interact with the legal and financial systems of the real world in their own names. Therefore, both require a “legal interface” (such as a specially established legal entity) to grant them the qualification to act in the real world. Returning to the biggest difference between the two—the decision-making layer—and examining 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. It is like the DNA of a living organism, presetting the most basic survival and behavioral principles of the entire organization. The rules of a DAO create a powerful environment, or a “gravitational field.” Within this field, rational participants (to gain rewards, avoid losses, or achieve common goals) will naturally have their behaviors guided in a certain direction, ultimately forming consensus. Consensus does not arise out of thin air; it is the result shaped within this “gravitational field” of rules. From this perspective, human members are not operators standing outside the machine, but are integrated into this grand machine as key components. Just as the brain needs neurons to transmit signals, the DAO machine needs human members to provide decision signals, and the way these signals are generated and transmitted has long been regulated by its underlying code. Just as an ant colony can build nests, forage, and defend itself, displaying astonishing collective intelligence, this will does not come from the independent thinking of any single ant, but emerges from the macro behavior of all ants following simple chemical rules (releasing and following pheromones).