Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said companies are going to have to combine human capital and token capital (also known as AI agents) to truly get returns. Without an ecosystem and "learning loop" you have "compute running in circles."
The riff, posted on X, is worth a read, but in many ways is obvious. What's also obvious is that Microsoft wants to be that orchestration layer. Nadella said:
"Human capital does not become less valuable as token capital grows. It only becomes more valuable! I believe human agency will be the driver of token capital growth. Humans will set ambitious goals, connect dots across domains, build relationships, and recognize patterns that matter most. Without human direction, you have compute running in circles.
This means the real opportunity is not in picking the best model but instead in building a learning loop on top of models where human capital and token capital compound. You can offload a task, or even a job, but you can never offload your learning. The future of the firm is the ability to compound that learning across people and AI.
This requires a new architectural approach where every business is able to build agentic systems that improve over time, while still retaining control over their IP."