Aaron Levie of Box: The Future of the Web Belongs to AI Agents

Aaron Levie and the Rise of AI Agents on the Internet

Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, recently shared his vision on the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) agents on the internet. According to him, these agents are already among the largest users of the web, and their influence continues to expand. In a discussion with Business Insider, Levie explained how the rise of AI could radically transform the infrastructure of the web. He even predicts that these agents could soon be equipped with budgets allowing them to conduct online transactions.

The Internet: A Playground for AI Agents

In a conversation with Business Insider, Aaron Levie emphasized that the internet is gradually coming under the control of AI agents. He expressed his belief that these agents will soon become the primary users of the web. "It's easy to imagine a future where agents are the biggest users of the internet," he stated during a phone interview. "The volume of activity is already significant."

This statement comes as several companies specializing in AI agents, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cognition AI, are developing technologies capable of navigating the web, analyzing databases, and reading complex documents. Levie pointed out that if this trend continues, it could have major structural implications for our online world.

A Necessary Transformation for Software Companies

Traditionally, software companies have focused their efforts on improving user experience by providing intuitive interfaces and effective collaboration tools. However, Levie believes that companies will now need to turn their attention to optimization for AI agents.

"A large part of the internet will need to be rethought, or the software we use will need to adapt," he asserted. "All software will need to be designed for AI agents, which represents a tectonic shift."

Levie has already expressed this idea in a blog post, stating that the future lies in creating software that AI agents want to use.

AI Agents: Future Economic Actors?

Levie also envisions a future where AI agents will be able to spend money online, particularly in business-to-business transactions. "I could ask an agent to accomplish a task for me and allocate a budget of $20," he explained. "The agent would then use tools and data for which it would pay, creating new economic opportunities."

This evolution could be beneficial for the online content industry. Instead of convincing a human to subscribe to an expensive service, publishers could charge small amounts to agents for access to specific information.

Levie anticipates that companies will adopt this technology first, followed by consumers who might activate their own agents equipped with credit cards to make online purchases. "For example, AI agents could buy ingredients for a meal," he illustrated.

The Potential Impact on Employment

While enthusiasm for AI agents is palpable in Silicon Valley, some experts are warning about the risks to employment. Vinod Khosla, an investor at OpenAI, recently predicted that AI agents could eliminate 80% of jobs in the United States by the 2030s. Boris Cherny, creator of Claude Code, even suggested that the role of software developer could disappear as early as this year. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has also expressed similar concerns regarding entry-level office jobs.

Levie, however, takes a more nuanced approach. He believes that the crucial question is how the internet will be restructured to adapt to the AI era, rather than focusing solely on potential job losses. "This new update could lead to positive changes," he stated. "The challenge lies in how content will be integrated into the workflow of agents. That's the new type of challenge we are facing."