🦉 AI Agents Have a Taste Problem

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Welcome back to the Collective and Happy New Year to all. If you’re a new subscriber or you’ve been with us since the start, we’re excited to get the ball rolling on what is set to be an incredible year here at Coeus Collective. 

As mentioned in last week, this newsletter will both chronicle what we’re working on and discuss our insights on the latest trending topics in the worlds of business, technology, and entrepreneurship. Today, we’ve chosen to start the year with substance by discussing a combination of two topics that are currently at the forefront of the minds of tech and venture capital leaders: AI agents and the “taste” economy.

So, why are we not sold on AI agents? They have a “taste” problem. And we’re not just talking about the Sabrina Carpenter song.

— By Antonio DiMeglio and Leon Li

The rise of AI agents promises a future where our preferences are anticipated and our decisions streamlined. Yet, when it comes to something as personal and nuanced as taste, the hype falters. Taste isn’t just about preferences; it’s about individuality, context, and shifting loyalties. Here’s what we’ll explore in this essay:

• The impossibility of programming trends and real-time human desires in advance (see: the Brat Summer of 2024)

• The potential negative impact of AI agents in creating a global “monoculture”

• How AI agents may be more suited for optimizing the menial to-dos of day-to-day life than the deeply personal taste economy

Let’s get to it.