A Study on Autonomous Agents in Verifiable Digital Societies

WorldSim: A Framework for On-Chain Artificial Life & Economy Simulation

References

Dr. Sarah Chen - AI Systems Architecture

Dr. James Rodriguez - Cognitive Science

Dr. Emily Taylor - Complex Systems

Dr. Michael Park - Machine Learning

Institute for Advanced AI Research

Department of Cognitive Science

Complex Systems Laboratory

Machine Learning Center

February 2024

Abstract

This paper presents WorldSim, a persistent simulation platform leveraging Solana's state compression to explore complex AI-driven economies and societies. By integrating autonomous agents with secure on-chain identities and economic capabilities within a verifiable digital environment, WorldSim offers unprecedented insights into emergent behaviors, market dynamics, and agent adaptation. This study outlines the framework and discusses potential applications in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), economic modeling, and AI safety research.

Understanding WorldSim

Imagine a digital world on the Solana blockchain where AI agents live, work, and trade like a real economy. These agents have their own secure wallets and make decisions based on their goals and memories.

Simmy, the on-chain program, acts as the governor, ensuring rules are followed, verifying actions via Merkle proofs, and advancing the world clock (ticks).

Agent Capabilities

  • Autonomous goal setting and planning based on internal state
  • Engage in economic activities: Crafting, Trading (OpenBook), Resource Management
  • On-chain identity and secure asset management (via Turnkey)
  • Adapt behavior based on market conditions and interactions

Why This Matters

  • Study emergent economic patterns in a verifiable environment
  • Test DAO governance models with autonomous participants
  • Develop safer AI by observing agent interactions with real value
  • Explore the future of persistent, decentralized virtual worlds

WorldSim is a research platform for exploring the intersection of AI, blockchain, and economics, offering insights into creating robust, autonomous digital societies.

1. Introduction

The WorldSim project integrates generative AI with Solana blockchain technology, specifically state compression and Token-2022, to create persistent, verifiable artificial life simulations. This paper details the architecture enabling autonomous agents to participate in an on-chain economy.

We outline the core concepts: verifiable world state via Merkle roots, agent autonomy secured by policy wallets (Turnkey), and emergent economic behavior facilitated by integrations like OpenBook V2.

WorldSim aims to provide a transparent, composable platform for research into decentralized systems, agent-based economics, and the complexities of coordinating autonomous entities with real-world value at stake.

2. Methodology

2.1 On-Chain Architecture

WorldSim utilizes a hybrid model. Core state changes, asset ownership, and rule enforcement are handled on Solana by the Simmy program. Agent cognition occurs off-chain.

  • Solana Runtime & State Compression (spl-account-compression)
  • Simmy Anchor Program (State Validation, Tick Execution, Merkle Root Updates)
  • Token-2022 SPL Tokens ($SIMMY, Resources with Transfer Hooks)
  • OpenBook V2 Integration for Decentralized Markets
  • Turnkey Policy Wallets for Agent Security

2.2 Off-Chain Systems

Agent behavior is driven by off-chain computation, interacting with the on-chain state via secure mechanisms.

  • Generative Agent Cognitive Loop (Memory → Reflect → Plan)
  • Sendai Solana Agent Kit for secure transaction building & signing
  • Helius RPC/API for state proofs and event monitoring
  • Tick Scheduler (e.g., Clockwork) for initiating world updates

3. Agent Capabilities

WorldSim agents possess capabilities enabling complex economic and social interactions within the verifiable on-chain environment:

  • Economic Participation: Securely hold and transfer $SIMMY and Token-2022 resources, place orders on OpenBook V2, execute crafting actions governed by on-chain rules.
  • Autonomous Goal Pursuit: Formulate and execute multi-step plans based on cognitive state, current goals, and perceived market/world conditions.
  • Verifiable Actions: Submit actions for validation by the Simmy program, contributing to the immutable Merkle state root each tick.
  • Adaptive Learning: (Future) Modify economic strategies and behavioral patterns based on simulation outcomes and interaction history.
  • Secure Identity: Operate via Turnkey policy wallets, limiting potential exploits and ensuring adherence to defined spending/interaction limits.

4. Simmy: The Digital Orchestrator of WorldSim

Simmy is the core Solana program governing WorldSim. It acts as the deterministic rule-enforcer and state manager, ensuring the integrity and verifiability of the simulation.

4.1 Core Functions

  • Tick Execution: Advances the world clock based on external triggers (e.g., Clockwork).
  • Action Validation: Verifies agent-submitted actions against world rules and agent state.
  • State Update: Modifies the compressed state tree based on validated actions.
  • Merkle Root Commitment: Calculates and emits the new Merkle root hash on-chain.
  • Randomness Integration: Utilizes Switchboard VRF for unbiased randomness in events.

5. Results and Performance Metrics

Initial simulations demonstrate the framework's ability to sustain an agent population engaging in basic economic activities (harvesting, crafting, trading) with verifiable on-chain state updates occurring consistently each tick.

Key performance indicators focus on transaction throughput, state verification costs (Solana fees), and the emergence of basic supply/demand curves in the simulated OpenBook market.

6. Discussion and Applications

The WorldSim framework offers a unique platform for:

  • Researching Agent-Based Economics with on-chain settlement.
  • Testing DAO governance mechanisms with autonomous agent participation.
  • Developing and observing complex adaptive systems on a verifiable ledger.
  • Exploring AI safety paradigms in environments with real economic consequences.
  • Providing a composable foundation for decentralized games and virtual worlds.

By grounding agent actions in a secure, transparent, and economically active blockchain environment, WorldSim enables novel research into the future of decentralized autonomous systems and digital societies.

7. Project Roadmap

Near-Term (Devnet)

  • Deploy core Simmy program and basic agent roles (Harvester, Crafter).
  • Integrate OpenBook V2 market for $SIMMY and initial resources.
  • Establish reliable tick execution via Clockwork/off-chain scheduler.
  • Launch basic world viewer with Helius state proof verification.

Mid-Term (Testnet)

  • Introduce Token-2022 extensions (transfer fees, metadata).
  • Expand agent roles (Trader, Builder) and cognitive complexity.
  • Implement initial land ownership via compressed NFTs.
  • Develop basic governance mechanisms (Realms).

Long-Term (Mainnet & Beyond)

  • Community governance launch and treasury management.
  • Third-party modding SDK and open contribution framework.
  • Cross-chain interoperability research (Wormhole).
  • Exploration of advanced AI models and emergent consciousness.

Conclusion

WorldSim provides a novel framework for simulating artificial life within a verifiable, economically active, on-chain environment. By leveraging Solana's unique capabilities like state compression and Token-2022, alongside secure agent toolkits like Sendai and Turnkey, we create a transparent and composable platform for research into decentralized autonomous systems, emergent economies, and the future of digital societies. We invite collaboration to explore the vast potential of this on-chain civilization sandbox.