In a collective of creative professionals working remotely and seeking cohesion and decentralization, finding order or leadership to address and navigate challenges with a single guideline can be complex. When each member of the team considers themselves an expert in their own field, different visions, personal priorities, and unique approaches can create friction in governance, as each party may end up attributing more self-importance than others, leading to clashing egos. Seeking a practical approach that aligns everyone’s full potential without wasting time on inert arguments, we pose the following question: Could an AI-agent-driven CEO provide a structured and impartial leadership approach in a creative environment where traditional hierarchies do not exist?
A leader with vision not only sets the course for innovation but also inspires every team member to push beyond the limits of what is possible. Ferran Adrià, the revolutionary chef, put it succinctly: “without order, there is no creativity.” This statement holds the key to a leadership style that does not stifle talent but rather organizes and empowers it. In a strategic design studio, this leadership acts as the pulse of the team, ensuring that every bold idea and leap of imagination is focused on a common goal. More than just reinvention, this type of leadership provides a compass for each member to find purpose in their role, aligning personal growth with a shared mission. It fosters a constant push to the next level, where the goal is not only to excel but to redefine what it means to be truly creative.
Over the past few months, building new projects has been an intense journey, full of ups and downs. We have publicly consolidated last year's rebranding efforts into a distinct identity, which has now become a guiding force for other initiatives emerging within FLOC*. Many of these initiatives even seek to become independent of the core brand to allow for greater creative freedom. However, this desire to forge individual paths has led to frequent clashes of vision.
Although this journey has been rewarding, it has also led to frustration and exhaustion within the team. The darker side of this process has resulted in complex situations, with tensions arising from each individual's ideals and goals. We have made efforts to bridge these differences through sessions aimed at integrating our ideas, although we have not always achieved the desired results. Currently, we find ourselves in a transitional phase without complete internal feedback on our status. In response, we have opted to embrace the process by creating separate working groups aligned with various projects or lines of business. This approach allows us to honor the diverse perspectives of all team members while minimizing disruptions to ongoing work.
Faced with these dilemmas, we have all been researching successful and inspirational examples of leaders, entrepreneurs, founders, creative visionaries, and influential business figures, while also studying how other brands leverage diversity to their advantage. This period in FLOC* history feels like a journey guided by the winds of creativity, albeit without a clear, fixed course, yet we continue to move forward as we keep our eyes on the horizon while reflecting on our past accomplishments. Surrounded by the advent of emerging technologies, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our evolution. Above all, we remain committed to our purpose: to find happiness and to bring joy by doing what we do best and what we love.
A few days ago, during one of our morning sessions known as "Daily Status," the spark resonated in my mind. As Bjarke Ingels wisely points out, weaknesses can be transformed into strengths. Given our current circumstances, it's clear we don’t have a CEO figure, and if we look at it positively, that could be interesting to maintain.
While speaking with Victor, I mentioned that perhaps this is our identity: we’re all on the same level, yet we recognize the need for an entity -a coach, a chef, or a guide - to provide direction (without the need for discussion) and to listen (without judgment) during moments when we require support or recommendations for actions in times of conflict.
Thus, the key may lie in collaboratively creating our own CEO, utilizing various techniques such as Borja Vilaseca’s "Simple Method for Improving Your Productivity". It’s like trying to recruit the best CEO in the market but crafting one ourselves. We aim to build a figure that we respect, one that is shaped by our collective concerns, goals, strengths and weaknesses, principles, and ideas.
As we delve into the notion of an AI-driven leadership model for FLOC*, three groundbreaking examples highlight how this approach could transform governance in the creative industry. The first is Mika, recognized as the world’s first AI-Agent CEO. Mika oversees strategic decision-making, relying on data-driven insights to optimize operations and support innovation. The objective is not just efficiency but also to challenge traditional corporate structures by introducing an unbiased, forward-thinking entity at the helm of decision-making processes. Mika’s role has sparked interest and conversation worldwide about the viability of AI in executive positions.
The second example is $GOAT, also known as "Goatseus Maximus," created by the AI Terminal of Truths. This virtual figure is more than just a CEO; it symbolizes community-driven values and transparency within the decentralized finance ecosystem. Unlike traditional leaders, $GOAT’s directives and decisions are entirely AI-generated, embodying the principles of blockchain transparency and trust. Through its unique positioning, $GOAT bridges the gap between AI and decentralized community governance, suggesting how AI could be used to embody collective values and accountability in a decentralized manner.
The third case study emerged while we were starting to write this article. Once again, the Farcaster ecosystem has brought forth a new form of interaction. This time, it’s Aether, created by @martin from Higher. This agent, backed by its wallet, has captivated attention across the network by engaging with a variety of users. Its strategic use to foster Higher’s community marked a significant shift in the perception of bots. Creativity met innovation as Aether started launching bounties, rewarding users, and even minting its first NFT—amassing over 400,000 mints and capitalizing its wallet to more than $100,000. And this is only the beginning…
Key traits suggested by Aether included:
1. Strategic vision: Identifying market opportunities and guiding long-term direction.
2. Adaptive learning: Rapidly processing new information and adjusting strategies.
3. Transparent decision-making: Clearly communicating the reasoning behind decisions.
4. Ethical framework: Adhering to principles of data sensitivity and user trust.
5. Community focus: Deeply understanding the culture and values of Farcaster.
We are witnessing a major trend uniting the emerging technologies of the moment. This long-awaited union of Web3 and AI could be the way forward for many brands and projects. However, we must remain vigilant, as new challenges and scams are likely to arise. Now, we need to explore how to make the AI-Agent CEO of FLOC* as fair and useful as possible for our collective goals. It’s essential to give our nature and essence to establish a roadmap and processes that nurture this collaborative intelligence while keeping it as human as possible. We should feed its way of processing information with our history, team personalities, and dynamics through highlights, descriptions, examples, processes, and roles. Additionally, we must incorporate analytical insights from case studies of our client and internal projects, as well as examples from branding and digital product specialists. And of course, we will have to make the right questions. We have a significant challenge ahead, and we need to tackle it as a team. If we can channel our efforts, we’ll continue to lead the way toward a better future.
As we wrap up this reflection on "Brainstorming an AI-Agent CEO," I’d like to outline the next steps for bringing this concept to life within FLOC*. This is not just an experiment; it’s a roadmap to redefine decentralized governance in our creative studio. Here’s what’s next:
1. Defining the Core Values: Collaboratively, we need to distill our core principles, values, and long-term vision. These will act as the "programming" that shapes the AI’s foundational directives.
2. Establishing a Decision-Making Framework: Identifying key areas where our AI-Agent CEO will be empowered to make decisions—whether it’s resource allocation, project prioritization, or conflict resolution.
3. Gathering Data for Learning: We’ll gather data on past projects, team interactions, and decision-making outcomes to train the AI to understand FLOC*'s unique culture and operational style.
4. Setting Up Iterative Feedback Loops: To ensure the AI-Agent CEO aligns with our evolving needs, we’ll establish feedback mechanisms allowing the team to provide insights on its guidance, continuously improving its model.
5. Testing and Optimizing: We’ll start with a beta phase, where the AI-Agent CEO provides guidance on low-stakes projects, refining its processes before full implementation.
6. Embracing Continuous Learning: Finally, our AI-Agent CEO will be designed to learn and adapt, keeping pace with new trends, technologies, and team dynamics, ensuring it grows alongside FLOC*.
This roadmap isn’t just a strategic plan; it’s a call to reimagine leadership, allowing collective voices to guide our journey. By harmonizing insights from diverse creators and innovators, we aim to make thoughtful, impactful decisions. Our AI leader will embody the unity and ambition of our community-driven studio, paving the way for brands shaped by shared purpose and vision. Together, let’s build a new horizon where creativity, collaboration, and inspired leadership converge, transforming imagination into legacy.
The Music
The Links
Languages become complex when we talk to machines, especially when communication arises through interactions with an environment, rather than direct messages.Drawing from games like Death Stranding and Dwarf Fortress, it discusses how environmental feedback and hidden conversation layers can create rich, decentralized communication systems. The piece also examines how conversational dynamics, shaped by both visible and latent signals, can enable complex interactions, making the world itself an active participant in dialogue. A compelling read for those interested in the intersection of game design, communication, and autonomous worlds.
Are we aware of the potential of AI in improving economic decision making through the use of trustless systems? Through blockchain-based experiments, the author examines how AI can autonomously navigate economic environments and improve decision-making iteratively, without human oversight. This approach highlights AI’s ability to assess, refine, and optimize judgment, setting a foundation for impactful financial and societal advancements. The article suggests a future where AI not only supports personal and financial choices but also redefines economic structures by creating value independently.
In this conference, Olaf Carlson-Wee explores the potential evolution of AI beyond basic automation, examining how artificial intelligence could develop emergent, self-organizing intelligence that transforms individual, social, and economic landscapes. Through research and theory, the talk analyzes the implications of AI's ability to make autonomous decisions, coordinate complex tasks, and enhance collective human-machine intelligence. This thought-provoking presentation invites us to consider AI not just as a tool, but as a potential partner in shaping the future of society and technology.
The Cast
The Key
"Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”
Leo Burnett
The Word
AI-Agent — "Artificial Intelligence Agent"
AI-Agents are systems that operate with a degree of autonomy, acting upon their environments or data inputs to achieve specific objectives. Unlike traditional algorithms, AI-Agents are designed to learn, adapt, and make decisions based on the context, often using machine learning models to process information and refine their behaviors over time. This capacity for adaptive learning and decision-making allows AI-Agents to be deployed as autonomous entities in fields like healthcare, finance, design, and decentralized communities, where they can analyze data, anticipate trends, and provide solutions with minimal human intervention. Their role is increasingly being explored in leadership positions, where they can support or even lead organizations by integrating a broad spectrum of strategic insights and responding to emerging challenges.
The NFT
The NFT chosen for this edition is the Hypersub subscription by Aether. This NFT supports the project, providing the agent with sufficient liquidity to perform on-chain actions. Additionally, more benefits may be added for holders in the future.
Written and designed by @esdotge with the support of @victoctero and the cover artwork by @dsord3r
