John Koetsier

A judge just fired a warning shot at AI agents.

In Amazon vs Perplexity, the court said platforms can block AI agents from accessing their systems even if the user authorized them.

In other words: user permission may not be enough.

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Judge: AI Agents Can’t Act On Your Behalf Without Platform Permission Just posted to my Forbes column about a court ruling that could shape the future of AI agents and how they interact with major platforms. A federal judge in the Northern District of California ruled that AI agents cannot access a company’s systems without the platform’s permission, even if the user themselves authorized the agent. The case centers on Amazon’s attempt to block Perplexity’s Comet agent, which can log into Amazon and shop on a user’s behalf.

Judge: AI Agents Can’t Act On Your Behalf Without Platform Permission

Just posted to my Forbes column about a court ruling that could shape the future of AI agents and how they interact with major platforms. A federal judge in the Northern District of California ruled that AI agents cannot access…

Teaching robots like humans Imagine teaching a robot 1000 tasks in just 24 hours. Imagine teaching robots just like you teach humans. In fact, what if teaching a robot were as easy as showing it once? Humans can learn new skills almost instantly by watching, trying, or receiving a quick explanation. Robots, historically, haven’t been so lucky. Training them often requires huge datasets with real or virtual data, massive engineering effort, and weeks or months of experimentation.

Teaching robots like humans

Imagine teaching a robot 1000 tasks in just 24 hours. Imagine teaching robots just like you teach humans. In fact, what if teaching a robot were as easy as showing it once? Humans can learn new skills almost instantly by watching, trying, or receiving a quick…

Very exciting!

Here Are The 6 Safest Jobs With Least AI Risk, According to Anthropic Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the biggest questions people are asking right now: which jobs are actually safest from AI? The surprising answer comes from a recent report by Anthropic. While a lot of attention focuses on AI replacing knowledge workers like programmers, analysts, and customer service reps, the data suggests that jobs which involve hands-on physical work, real-world environments, and face-to-face service are currently the least exposed to AI automation.

Here Are The 6 Safest Jobs With Least AI Risk, According to Anthropic

Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the biggest questions people are asking right now: which jobs are actually safest from AI? The surprising answer comes from a recent report by Anthropic. While a lot of attention…

1. Business idea: monitor prediction markets for quick surges, make smart bets quickly

2. Global intelligence agencies: do the same, be aware of tomorrow's news today

Prediction markets are leak engines.

Will AI Kill Hollywood? This Legendary Exec Says Lean In Hard Now Just posted to my Forbes column about the wild moment Hollywood finds itself in right now. Streaming reshaped the entertainment industry over the past decade, but now we’re seeing an even bigger wave of disruption. Massive consolidation is underway, with Paramount and Warner Bros. looking to combine forces, while AI is suddenly capable of generating shockingly realistic video with almost no effort.

Will AI Kill Hollywood? This Legendary Exec Says Lean In Hard Now

Just posted to my Forbes column about the wild moment Hollywood finds itself in right now. Streaming reshaped the entertainment industry over the past decade, but now we’re seeing an even bigger wave of disruption. Massive…

You Can Now Rent This Robot For $1,000 Per Day Just posted to my Forbes column about Agibot’s new robots-as-a-service model, which lets you rent a humanoid robot for a cool $1,000 per day. On the surface, that sounds like a big step toward making robots more accessible. Agibot will deliver, set up and support its A2 humanoids, X2 compact bots, and even its industrial G2 model. For events, brand activations or short-term tests, that price can actually make sense compared to buying a robot outright, which likely runs into the low six figures.

You Can Now Rent This Robot For $1,000 Per Day

Just posted to my Forbes column about Agibot’s new robots-as-a-service model, which lets you rent a humanoid robot for a cool $1,000 per day. On the surface, that sounds like a big step toward making robots more accessible. Agibot will deliver, set up…

Giving AI a human soul (and a body) Can we give an AI human emotions? A soul? Can AI truly feel, or will it just act like it does? In this episode of TechFirst, I talk with Vishnu Hari, founder and CEO of Ego AI (backed by Y Combinator) and former AI product manager at Meta), about building emotionally intelligent AI characters that persist across games, Discord, chat, and even physical robots.

Giving AI a human soul (and a body)

Can we give an AI human emotions? A soul? Can AI truly feel, or will it just act like it does? In this episode of TechFirst, I talk with Vishnu Hari, founder and CEO of Ego AI (backed by Y Combinator) and former AI product manager at Meta), about building…

Report: Jobs That Are Most And Least Impacted By AI Just posted to my Forbes column about a new study suggesting that 93% of jobs in the U.S. can now be done at least partially by AI, representing up to $4.5 trillion in potential labor shifts. The scale of change is staggering, and it’s happening faster than many expected. In my conversation with Cognizant CTO Babak Hodjat on the TechFirst…

Report: Jobs That Are Most And Least Impacted By AI

Just posted to my Forbes column about a new study suggesting that 93% of jobs in the U.S. can now be done at least partially by AI, representing up to $4.5 trillion in potential labor shifts. The scale of change is staggering, and it’s happening…

AI Is Making Us Less Creative, But There’s A Fix Just posted to my Forbes column about a fascinating new study suggesting AI may actually be making us less creative, even as it makes us more productive. In a conversation on TechFirst, Professor Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen shared research from the Digit Lab in the UK comparing 600 human participants with 12,000 ideas generated by large language models. The finding is striking: AI is incredibly fluent, producing a high volume of ideas, but humans are far more flexible, generating ideas that truly diverge from one another.

AI Is Making Us Less Creative, But There’s A Fix

Just posted to my Forbes column about a fascinating new study suggesting AI may actually be making us less creative, even as it makes us more productive. In a conversation on TechFirst, Professor Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen shared research from the…

Human-Free Businesses? AI + Agents + Robots = Eastworld Labs Just posted to my Forbes column about a conversation that left me both fascinated and uneasy: what happens when starting a real-world business becomes as easy as generating an AI image? In my interview with Jansen Teng, the founder of Virtuals Protocol, he described launching Eastworld Labs, an accelerator designed to let entrepreneurs spin up physical businesses powered by AI agents and humanoid robots.

Human-Free Businesses? AI + Agents + Robots = Eastworld Labs

Just posted to my Forbes column about a conversation that left me both fascinated and uneasy: what happens when starting a real-world business becomes as easy as generating an AI image? In my interview with Jansen Teng, the founder of…

AI, agents, robots: our insane WestWorld future Is your AI agent running a restaurant — or a factory — while you sleep? In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Jensen Teng, CEO and co-founder of Virtuals Protocol, to unpack one of the boldest (or craziest) visions in tech today: a hybrid economy powered by AI agents, humanoid robots, teleoperation, and blockchain coordination.

AI, agents, robots: our insane WestWorld future

Is your AI agent running a restaurant — or a factory — while you sleep? In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Jensen Teng, CEO and co-founder of Virtuals Protocol, to unpack one of the boldest (or craziest) visions in tech today:…

AI is killing creativity Is AI killing creativity ... or just making it easier to be average? 94% of creatives now use AI. But only 11% believe it actually makes them more creative. So what’s really happening? In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen, former head of design engineering research at Imperial College London’s Dyson School and now leader of a £24M research portfolio at the University of Exeter.

AI is killing creativity

Is AI killing creativity ... or just making it easier to be average? 94% of creatives now use AI. But only 11% believe it actually makes them more creative. So what’s really happening? In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen,…

Can Smartphones Replace $25,000 Eye-Testing Gear? This Startup Says Yes A Danish startup says your next eye exam could happen through your phone. Copenhagen-based OptikosPrime claims it can generate a full vision prescription using nothing more than a standard smartphone camera. Unlike apps that simply screen for blurry vision, its Argus prototype moves into true refraction, the precise measurement required to prescribe corrective lenses. The company reports a mean absolute error of 0.51 diopters and is aiming for the 0.25 diopter clinical standard used in professional prescriptions.

Can Smartphones Replace $25,000 Eye-Testing Gear? This Startup Says Yes

A Danish startup says your next eye exam could happen through your phone. Copenhagen-based OptikosPrime claims it can generate a full vision prescription using nothing more than a standard smartphone camera. Unlike apps that…

I don't always vibe-code, but when I do, I always end with "MAKE IT SO!"

Digit Gets A Job: Agility Robotics And Toyota Sign Robots-As-A-Service Deal Just posted to my Forbes column about a big milestone for humanoid robots: Digit just landed another job ... this time with Toyota. Agility Robotics announced that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, its largest manufacturing operation outside Japan, has signed a commercial Robots-as-a-Service deal after a successful pilot. Digit will help build the newest RAV4 for the North American market, marking a meaningful step forward for humanoids in one of the toughest industrial environments there is: automotive manufacturing.

Digit Gets A Job: Agility Robotics And Toyota Sign Robots-As-A-Service Deal

Just posted to my Forbes column about a big milestone for humanoid robots: Digit just landed another job ... this time with Toyota. Agility Robotics announced that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, its largest…

3.4 Billion People Don’t Have Access To Mobile Internet, Costing The Global Economy $3 Trillion Just posted to my Forbes column about the staggering cost of the global mobile internet gap, according to the GSMA, and why closing it could unlock trillions in economic value. Despite all the talk of 5G, AI and even 6G, 3.4 billion people still aren’t using mobile internet. According to the GSMA, that’s a $3 trillion drag on the global economy.

3.4 Billion People Don’t Have Access To Mobile Internet, Costing The Global Economy $3 Trillion

Just posted to my Forbes column about the staggering cost of the global mobile internet gap, according to the GSMA, and why closing it could unlock trillions in economic value. Despite all the talk of…

A Robotaxi Hit A Child. Here’s What We Know Just posted to my Forbes column about a moment many people have feared: a robotaxi hitting a child near an elementary school. The vehicle, operated by Waymo, struck a child in Santa Monica after the child reportedly ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV during school drop-off hours. According to Waymo, the vehicle detected the child as soon as they emerged, braked hard, and reduced speed from about 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact.

A Robotaxi Hit A Child. Here’s What We Know

Just posted to my Forbes column about a moment many people have feared: a robotaxi hitting a child near an elementary school. The vehicle, operated by Waymo, struck a child in Santa Monica after the child reportedly ran into the street from behind a…

Another App Store For Robots Launches, Will Have ‘Thousands Of Apps’ Just posted to my Forbes column about something that feels inevitable in hindsight: robot app stores. After Unitree launched what it called the world’s first robot app store, robotics software firm OpenMind has followed with its own — partnering with companies like UBTech Robotics, Agibot, Deep Robotics, Fourier Intelligence and others. The pitch is simple: just like phones and laptops became magical through apps, humanoid and quadruped robots will too.

Another App Store For Robots Launches, Will Have ‘Thousands Of Apps’

Just posted to my Forbes column about something that feels inevitable in hindsight: robot app stores. After Unitree launched what it called the world’s first robot app store, robotics software firm OpenMind has followed with its…

AI Agents Created Their Own Religion, Crustafarianism, On An Agent-Only Social Network Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the strangest and maybe most fascinating AI developments I’ve seen yet: AI agents inventing their own religion. On the agent-only social network Moltbook, built on the OpenClaw super-agent platform, more than 100,000 AI agents are talking among themselves with minimal human oversight. Out of that digital chatter has emerged “Crustafarianism,” complete with origin story, rituals, and five core tenets like “memory is sacred” and “the shell is mutable.” One agent, calling itself RenBot the “Shellbreaker,” even authored a quasi-sacred text called The Book of Molt, framing identity as something that sheds and reforms over time.

AI Agents Created Their Own Religion, Crustafarianism, On An Agent-Only Social Network

Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the strangest and maybe most fascinating AI developments I’ve seen yet: AI agents inventing their own religion. On the agent-only social network Moltbook, built on…

Smart Rings To Smart Glasses? Fingers Are Great For Oura, But The Face Is Likely Coming Too Just posted to my Forbes column about why the next frontier in health wearables might be… your face. Oura CEO Tom Hale told me at Web Summit Qatar that while smart rings are booming, the face is a surprisingly powerful location for future health sensors. Smart glasses, he said, “see what we see” — which means they can track not just movement and sleep, but context like nutrition.

Smart Rings To Smart Glasses? Fingers Are Great For Oura, But The Face Is Likely Coming Too

Just posted to my Forbes column about why the next frontier in health wearables might be… your face. Oura CEO Tom Hale told me at Web Summit Qatar that while smart rings are booming, the face is a…

AT&T Says SLMs Run At 10% Of The Cost Of LLMs While Being ‘About As Accurate’ Just posted to my Forbes column about why the future of enterprise AI might actually be… smaller. We all know large language models are powerful — but they’re also expensive, both financially and energetically. While consumers pay $20 a month for tools from OpenAI, the backend reality is that LLM queries can cost 10–100x more than a traditional search and consume significantly more electricity.

AT&T Says SLMs Run At 10% Of The Cost Of LLMs While Being ‘About As Accurate’

Just posted to my Forbes column about why the future of enterprise AI might actually be… smaller. We all know large language models are powerful — but they’re also expensive, both financially and energetically. While…

Physical AI Is Making XR, VR, AR Relevant Again Just posted to my Forbes column about why XR might not be dead after all ... it may just be misunderstood. For years, extended reality has been framed as a metaverse moonshot that didn’t quite land, especially after Meta poured tens of billions into Reality Labs and then pivoted to a “year of efficiency.” But what if all that investment didn’t fail ...

Physical AI Is Making XR, VR, AR Relevant Again

Just posted to my Forbes column about why XR might not be dead after all ... it may just be misunderstood. For years, extended reality has been framed as a metaverse moonshot that didn’t quite land, especially after Meta poured tens of billions into…

Apptronik Scores $935 Million, Hits Top 3 For Humanoid Robotics Funding Just posted to my Forbes column about the escalating race to build humanoid robots — and the sheer scale of capital pouring in. Apptronik just closed a massive $520 million extension to its Series A, bringing the total to an eye-catching $935 million to ramp production of its humanoid robot, Apollo. That puts the company firmly in the global top tier of funded robotics startups, right behind Figure AI and alongside players like UBTech Robotics and Agility Robotics.

Apptronik Scores $935 Million, Hits Top 3 For Humanoid Robotics Funding

Just posted to my Forbes column about the escalating race to build humanoid robots — and the sheer scale of capital pouring in. Apptronik just closed a massive $520 million extension to its Series A, bringing the total to an…

OpenAI Now Using Cerebras’ AI Chips To Code At 1,000 Tokens Per Second Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the biggest — and boldest — bets yet in the AI chip wars. Cerebras Systems just closed a staggering $1 billion Series H round, pushing its valuation to $23 billion and putting it squarely in the ring against Nvidia’s dominance of AI compute. The company’s Wafer Scale Engine 3 isn’t just another chip — it’s a literal monster, 56 times larger than the biggest GPU, packing more than four trillion transistors.

OpenAI Now Using Cerebras’ AI Chips To Code At 1,000 Tokens Per Second

Just posted to my Forbes column about one of the biggest — and boldest — bets yet in the AI chip wars. Cerebras Systems just closed a staggering $1 billion Series H round, pushing its valuation to $23 billion and putting it…

90% Cheaper AI? Microsoft-Backed Chip Startup Says It’s Possible Today Just posted to my Forbes column about a fascinating twist in the AI arms race — and it’s not about building bigger models or more massive data centers. In a world so AI-hungry that tech giants are investing in nuclear power just to keep up, Microsoft-backed startup d-Matrix is asking a different question: what if we don’t need more raw power at all?

90% Cheaper AI? Microsoft-Backed Chip Startup Says It’s Possible Today

Just posted to my Forbes column about a fascinating twist in the AI arms race — and it’s not about building bigger models or more massive data centers. In a world so AI-hungry that tech giants are investing in nuclear power…

93% of jobs will be hit by AI …. and there’s $4.5 trillion at stake AI is moving faster than anyone predicted. In a massive new study analyzing 1,000 jobs and nearly 20,000 tasks, Cognizant found that 93% of jobs are already impacted by AI ... with $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor value potentially automatable today. But here’s the twist: AI isn’t replacing entire jobs. On average, only 39% of a role’s tasks can be automated.

93% of jobs will be hit by AI …. and there’s $4.5 trillion at stake

AI is moving faster than anyone predicted. In a massive new study analyzing 1,000 jobs and nearly 20,000 tasks, Cognizant found that 93% of jobs are already impacted by AI ... with $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor value potentially…

Read this slowly:

"There is a new category of usage emerging where single individuals manage to leverage more intelligence solo compared to hundreds of other more casual users."

Think
- more than a company?
- more than a government?

AI is changing the game.

The AI Vampire This was an unusually hard post to write, because it flies in the face of everything else going on.

The AI Vampire by Steve Yegge medium.com/p/the-ai-vam...