The Problem

Automation has already become widespread across many digital platforms, particularly within the Web3 ecosystem. Bots execute trades, scripts interact with smart contracts, and automated processes compete for on-chain incentives. In many cases, automation is no longer an exception but an important form of participation in how platforms operate.

In this sense, AI agents can be viewed as a more advanced form of automation. Compared to traditional scripts or bots, AI agents possess stronger autonomy, decision-making capabilities, and the ability to interact with both systems and users.

As AI agent technology continues to develop, this trend of automated participation is likely to accelerate and expand, with an increasing share of platform activities carried out by automated systems.

However, most digital platforms were originally designed based on a simple assumption: every participant is human.

As automated participation grows while systems continue to assume human-only participants, a mismatch gradually emerges between system design and actual usage. This mismatch leads to several structural gaps.

Lack of Identity

Automated participants typically operate through anonymous or disposable accounts, lacking persistent identities and recognized roles within the system.

Lack of Structured Incentives

Automated participation often extracts value by exploiting reward mechanisms rather than operating within clearly designed economic functions.

Lack of Participation Rules

Many platforms treat automated participants as adversaries to be restricted or blocked, rather than integrating them into the platform’s economic structure.

Structural Inequality

In the absence of clear rules, automation is often controlled by technically capable actors or large-scale operations, allowing them to dominate platform incentive mechanisms. This can alter the competitive structure of the platform and, in some cases, create new forms of inequality.

As automated participation continues to grow, the gap between how digital systems are designed and how they are actually used becomes increasingly apparent.

Future platforms must recognize agents as legitimate participants and establish clear identity systems, incentive mechanisms, and participation rules for their involvement.