More than being automated, DACs operate autonomously across an infrastructure built to run them for a fee they pay to be run.
Example: A Bitcoin address is created with a simple script [1] in it that causes it to pay for it's 'existence' by periodically sending BTC to a local printer it has entered into an arrangement to print flyers with it's own Bitcoin address on it. It also pays a Task Rabbit employee periodically to go to the printer and take the flyers and put them in people's mailboxes. The flyer then 'sells' itself by asking people to donate a small amount of money to a cause that was found to be somewhat important to the people who live in the area that was canvassed. It then gives X% to the cause, and pockets the rest so it can pay for more flyers to be printed and more Task Rabbiters to deliver.
Once more feature rich blockchains like Ethereum come online, you'll be able to code up a bot that is able to do all this by itself without human intervention. It'll know where the API to the printer is, will know how to pay for research APIs for BTC and find the best couriers to deliver. It'll also provide bounties for humans to improve its software so it can make more money.
I'm thinking this is maybe 10-15 years out, with hints of it happening in the next 2-3. Going to be interesting, that's for certain.
Example: A Bitcoin address is created with a simple script [1] in it that causes it to pay for it's 'existence' by periodically sending BTC to a local printer it has entered into an arrangement to print flyers with it's own Bitcoin address on it. It also pays a Task Rabbit employee periodically to go to the printer and take the flyers and put them in people's mailboxes. The flyer then 'sells' itself by asking people to donate a small amount of money to a cause that was found to be somewhat important to the people who live in the area that was canvassed. It then gives X% to the cause, and pockets the rest so it can pay for more flyers to be printed and more Task Rabbiters to deliver.
Once more feature rich blockchains like Ethereum come online, you'll be able to code up a bot that is able to do all this by itself without human intervention. It'll know where the API to the printer is, will know how to pay for research APIs for BTC and find the best couriers to deliver. It'll also provide bounties for humans to improve its software so it can make more money.
I'm thinking this is maybe 10-15 years out, with hints of it happening in the next 2-3. Going to be interesting, that's for certain.
[1] https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Script