What Is an Agent? How Relationships, Repetition, and AI Are Reshaping the Future of Success
In every meaningful journey — whether you're climbing mountains or navigating modern industries — you need guides. For me, those guides are agents. And in the age of artificial intelligence, they’re not just human anymore.
This talk was more than just a speech — it was a reflection on how support, boldness, and experimentation shape our ability to grow. Here's what I shared — and what we unpacked in a powerful Q&A session with the audience.
What Is an Agent, Really?
In my world, I work with three types of agents:
A speaking agency
A talent agency
A literary agency
Without them, I’d be lost. They handle what I’m not great at: sales, negotiations, logistics, and detail management. I jokingly say this makes me “pretty useless” without them — but the truth is, we all thrive when we focus on our strengths and let others handle the rest.
Agents aren’t just representatives. They’re sherpas. They’ve climbed the terrain before. They know the pitfalls, the shortcuts, and the right pace. They allow creators, leaders, and innovators to move boldly without getting bogged down in the weeds.
A great example? A realtor who patiently showed my wife over 100 houses — and never gave up. That kind of commitment builds trust. That’s what agents do: they put skin in the game and suffer alongside you. And that’s exactly why they matter.
Repetition Is the Real Path to Boldness
A common question I get is: “How do you become bold?”
The answer is simple — you don’t. Not all at once, anyway. You build boldness.
It happens through deliberate exposure to difficulty. You post 100 videos. You run 100 experiments with AI tools. You get rejected 100 times. Each rep builds your tolerance for discomfort — and from that, your confidence is born.
Repetition isn’t sexy, but it’s essential. It’s how agents win. It’s how creators grow. And it’s how breakthroughs happen — one uncomfortable rep at a time.
Think of repetition like compound interest for your skills: small efforts, done consistently, build exponential results.
AI and the Remix Era: Redefining Creativity
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that it's "stealing" creativity. But the reality is more nuanced — and more human.
Here’s a breakdown of how AI interacts with creativity and what it actually means:
1. How AI Generates Creative Output
AI doesn’t invent ideas from scratch. It goes through two core processes:
Pre-training: It learns patterns from large datasets (books, articles, code, etc.)
Inference: It creates new outputs based on what it’s learned — just like we remix knowledge when we build slides, apps, or pitches.
Think of AI as a hyper-fast student that’s trained on everything and ready to generate instantly.
2. Why It’s Not Really “Stealing”
Humans have always been remixers:
Musicians sample beats
Writers borrow themes
Innovators build on what came before
AI just does this faster and at scale. Creativity has always been a remix — and that’s not theft. That’s progress.
3. The Real Copyright Concern
Yes, copyright lawsuits are happening. Platforms must be held accountable for direct copying. But remixing, evolving, and reinterpreting ideas? That’s exactly how innovation works.
Audience Q&A Highlights: AI, Data, and the Future of Innovation
Q: Are we all just being controlled by big tech through AI?
This was one of the most passionate audience questions: "If all these tools come from just five big companies, are we really free?"
I get it. You use a smart car, and suddenly it’s updating while you’re dropping your kids off. That feels like control. But I’m incredibly optimistic.
Why? Because open-source AI is exploding.
China’s DeepSeek R1 is 96% cheaper than OpenAI’s models.
Meta is investing heavily in open-source platforms.
This means more developers, creators, and businesses can build their own tools. The future won't be controlled by five companies — it'll be built by all of us.
Q: What about privacy? Are we giving up too much?
Yes, if you're using Apple, Google, or Facebook, your data is being tracked. That’s the trade-off for convenience.
You have two choices:
Accept the trade and use tech intentionally
Opt out and go off-grid (which most of us won’t do)
It’s not about fear — it’s about awareness. Know what you're giving up. Use tech mindfully.
Q: Is copyright dead in the AI era?
AI is trained on massive public data. It doesn’t copy directly. It creates new combinations based on pattern recognition.
But here’s the truth: we do that too. Every idea you've had is a remix of something you've seen, heard, or read. AI just does it faster.
Do we need better copyright regulation? Yes. But the act of remixing? That’s innovation.
Final Thoughts: Build With People. Experiment With Tech. Lead With Boldness.
Success isn’t about going solo. It’s about building the right partnerships — with people, with agents, with tools — and then relentlessly showing up, again and again.
Whether you’re navigating a career or launching into the AI era, the principles are the same:
Let others handle what you don’t love.
Do hard things repeatedly until they feel natural.
And treat AI not as a threat — but as a collaborator.
This is the new blueprint: Human + Agentic. Grit + Grace. Repetition + Remix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How does AI influence creativity in the modern world?
AI accelerates the remixing of ideas — something humans already do. It doesn’t replace creativity; it expands what’s possible, faster.
Q2: Who controls AI, and should we be worried about our data?
Big tech platforms do collect user data, but open-source AI gives power back to the people. By supporting open innovation, we keep the future decentralized and inclusive.
Q3: What’s the best way to grow creatively or professionally?
Repetition. Success comes from doing hard things consistently — from speaking gigs to video uploads to AI experiments. Progress = practice.
About the Author:
Shawn Kanungo is a globally recognized disruption strategist and keynote speaker who helps organizations adapt to change and leverage disruptive thinking. Named one of the "Best New Speakers" by the National Speakers Bureau, Shawn has spoken at some of the world's most innovative organizations, including IBM, Walmart, and 3M. His expertise in digital disruption strategies helps leaders navigate transformation and build resilience in an increasingly uncertain business environment.