Someday you’ll be out of a job. So will I, so will your neighbor, so will your best friend, and so will all of your family. All of our jobs will be automated, thanks to AI. This is the prediction of Shaw Walters, the founder of Eliza Labs and creator of ElizaOS.
“We’re going to automate all of the jobs. Like, all of the jobs are going to be automated,” says Shaw. “There aren’t going to be any jobs. And there shouldn’t be because any work that I can get a robot to do is beneath me. And I think we will look back on this time like we look back on slavery. Like, ‘What the heck were we doing?’”
At the AI Summit at Consensus 2025, Shaw will unpack this theory in a keynote titled, “How AI Agents and Humanoid Robots will Reshape Society…and Why Crypto is the Key.” Here he provides a preview of his vision.
Interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
What excites you the most about AI Agents?
Shaw explains, “Personally, this is a sort of selfish quest. I don’t like sitting at my desk all day, becoming this troll who’s coding constantly. I want to be able to pace around, directing my agents to perform tasks for me. Coding has evolved to a point where I can collaborate with AI tools. Why can’t that capability simply be embodied? Why do I have to be glued to a desk? Ideally, I want my AI agent with me everywhere, so I can just share my ideas and needs without interruption.”
What do you think will be the first killer use case of agents that really goes mainstream?
According to Shaw, coding is already the frontrunner, with non-coders benefiting from social agents. “We face all the common communication challenges in our remote team and DAO community. It’s essential to synthesize our conversations and get updates without sifting through endless chats. We’ve developed a bot that checks in daily, summarizing all activity and updates across various channels, making information accessible without overwhelming the team.”
Why is crypto crucial to this larger vision of AI Agents? Why is Web3 necessary?
Shaw articulates the challenges of facilitating transactions with traditional finance systems for AI agents. “Creating wallets for agents using cryptocurrency is seamless. Agents essentially serve as proxies for users and access the benefits available to them. However, it raises more profound questions, such as why we shouldn’t have the power to create our own currency. This is pivotal when discussing the future of a worker-less society. Why should we accept a structure that limits our potential?”
Shaw expresses a radical vision: “We will automate all jobs, and there shouldn’t be any left because any work a robot can handle is beneath us. Moving forward, we’ll reflect on this chapter as we now view slavery; questioning why we pressured ourselves into labor instead of pursuing our passions.”
Yet, such a transformation presents its challenges. If there are no jobs, how will people earn money? Shaw points out that many wealthy individuals do not work jobs; they invest. “We should aim to cultivate a society where everyone becomes an investor rather than a laborer. It seems absurd that we operate under a model where the wealthy thrive while the majority toil away.”
How do we envision our future? What does humanity look like?
Upon receiving a sudden influx of wealth, Shaw urges people to reconnect with their passions. “Imagine possessing infinite resources. Wouldn’t our focus shift toward exploration and creativity? How would we redefine our days?” He shares his aspiration to work on developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with endless time and resources.
What is the future of AGI?
AGI is a tantalizing yet elusive concept, with participants in the tech industry likening its pursuit to Zeno’s Paradox. “Computers have made tremendous strides, but there are elements they have yet to conquer. Even as we advance, questions about sentience and true intelligence become more pronounced,” Shaw responds in jest, maintaining an optimistic yet realistic stance on future advancements.
As we approach an inevitable shift in the job landscape, discussions about the consequences of automation and AI’s integration into society will only intensify. Shaw Walters’ insights at the AI Summit are sure to spark meaningful conversations surrounding our collective future and the role of technology in our lives.
Jeff Wilser will host the AI Summit at Consensus 2025, and is the host of The People’s AI: The Decentralized AI Podcast.
