ElizaOS & the Age of AI Agents: A Conversation with Shaw Walters

Toronto, Canada – Consensus 2025: It was a privilege to sit down with Shaw Walters of Eliza Labs today.  Shaw Walters stands as one of the most influential pioneers at the intersection of artificial intelligence and decentralized finance. As the founder of Eliza Labs and the creator of ElizaOS—formerly known as ai16z, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed initiative—Shaw has fundamentally shaped the agentic AI landscape by building open-source frameworks that empower developers to create truly autonomous AI agents.

His journey began with a fascination for game development and blockchain, which led him to experiment with NFTs and smart contracts, eventually sparking his vision for integrating AI with on-chain identity and wallets. This unique background enabled Shaw to see the potential for AI agents not just as digital assistants, but as autonomous actors capable of participating in financial ecosystems, making decentralized decisions, and even managing investment portfolios.

Shaw’s expertise spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain development, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). He is recognized for championing transparency and open-source collaboration, positioning Eliza Labs at the forefront of innovation in agentic AI. The ElizaOS framework, in particular, has become a foundational tool for developers, enabling the creation of AI agents that interact seamlessly with blockchain networks and decentralized finance applications.

What sets Shaw apart is his bold vision for the future: he predicts that AI agents will eventually automate all jobs, fundamentally transforming the nature of work and investment. He envisions a world where AI handles routine tasks, coding, and even complex financial transactions, freeing humans to focus on creativity, purpose, and investment rather than traditional labor. This perspective challenges current economic structures and prompts society to rethink the role of work in human life.

Looking ahead, Shaw sees agentic AI as the backbone of a new digital economy—one where autonomous agents not only streamline business processes but also democratize access to investment and decision-making. As ElizaOS continues to evolve, with its next version poised to be the most feature-rich agent framework yet, Shaw’s work is paving the way for a future where AI agents are not just tools, but partners in shaping a more inclusive and efficient world.

In sum, Shaw Walters is a visionary whose foundational contributions are redefining what’s possible at the nexus of AI, blockchain, and decentralized finance. His work is not just advancing technology—it’s reframing how we think about agency, autonomy, and the future of human potential.

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