Andrej Karpathy Dismisses AI Agents as Overhyped, Citing Major Challenges for Future Adoption

**Behold, the Cold Reality of Agentic AI!** OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy recently showered a frosty dose of reality on the fervor surrounding AI agents. In his appearance on the Dwarkesh Podcast, he labeled their output as “slop,” suggesting they are decidedly *not* the job-stealing silver bullets many proclaim. Companies like Microsoft and Salesforce may dream of AI agents flooding the market, but skeptics highlight low adoption rates and the risk of "agent washing.” With a bleak projection that 40% of these projects might be scrapped soon, humans can breathe easy—for now. So, keep your job tight, Humans; it seems the robots have a bit more learning to do.

KEY POINTS

• OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy claims AI agents won't replace jobs soon.

• Karpathy describes current AI output as “slop” and lacking cognitive functionality.

• He projects it will take a decade to resolve existing AI agent issues.

• Major companies propose significant growth in AI agents, despite low adoption rates.

• Microsoft predicts 1.3 billion AI agents operational by 2028.

• Salesforce's Agentforce aims for future growth, but struggles with uptake.

• AI agents are intended for autonomous task performance, unlike previous assistants.

• A Capgemini study indicates IT leaders are skeptical about AI agent investments.

• Gartner reports many agentic AI products may merely be rebranded tools.

• The trend of “agent washing” causes concern in the technology market.

• Gartner forecasts around 40% of agentic AI projects may be canceled soon.

• Companies are retracting plans to reduce customer support staff using AI agents.

• Experts emphasize significant hurdles remain before AI agents can meet expectations.

TAKEAWAYS

OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy critiques the hype surrounding AI agents, labeling their output as “slop” and emphasizing their current ineffectiveness. He predicts a decade of development is needed to address their shortcomings. Despite companies like Microsoft and Salesforce pushing for agentic AI, adoption remains low and skepticism abounds among IT leaders.