Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan has previously joked about suffering from "cyber psychosis" due to his intense enthusiasm for using AI agents, often sacrificing sleep. During an upcoming episode of Walter Isaacson’s podcast "The Builders," Tan revealed the financial cost of this passion.
"I spend about $100,000 to $200,000 a year on tokens," Tan told Isaacson. He employs agents for numerous work projects and coding tasks and has openly released a collection of 23 Claude Code skills, known as "gstack," on GitHub. He explained that this was intended to educate others on the capabilities of AI agents.
While some users rely on AI agents for simple research and preparation, Tan utilizes them to manage various aspects of his life. These agents have access to his extensive digital footprint, having processed all his emails, Dropbox files, and Apple Notes, including therapy notes dating back twenty years.
Tan describes the utility of these agents as receiving assistance with daily tasks in a more autonomous manner. He compares the experience to having a "Jiminy Cricket" on one's shoulder, noting that the AI knows the user intimately and can anticipate needs or suggest options before they are explicitly asked.
As an early adopter of OpenClaw who has since become a power user, Tan emphasizes the importance of not treating AI agents like traditional software. He argues that concerns regarding repeatability and safety often cause people to miss out on the benefits of an agent that functions similarly to a human.
Y Combinator itself is integrating an agent into its operations, with Tan mentioning an internal system named "Stray Light" that possesses a distinct personality and maintains a comprehensive database of all founders, applicants, and correspondents.
Tan, a prominent figure in Silicon Valley, believes personal AI agents will eventually become mainstream, contingent upon a reduction in costs. He acknowledges that his current expenditure is a "crazy privilege" not available to everyone.
Regarding the future, Tan suggests that free agents controlled by large technology companies are not the ideal solution. Drawing a parallel to Meta’s influence over social media algorithms, he envisions a future with a personal AI that the user fully controls and programs.
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