Silicon Valley is convinced AI agents are the future, with companies designing payment systems and automation tools for them. Yet, most people outside the tech industry have never used an AI agent. This disconnect has sparked debate about whether the technology is ready for mainstream adoption.
Josh Miller, CEO of The Browser Company, argues that AI agents haven't captured the public's attention because they aren't designed as consumer products. He notes that while OpenAI and Anthropic report 10 million weekly users for their agents, chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini have over a billion monthly active users. Miller suggests the industry is focusing too much on the technology itself rather than creating useful, approachable products.
Miller’s views are backed by his experience with The Browser Company, where an AI-powered morning briefing feature became its most popular offering. Despite being powered by an AI agent, users didn’t need to know that. He argues that current agentic products are more demos than real-world tools, often built with a sci-fi vision rather than consumer needs in mind.
Source: wired
