Buterin Discusses AI Concerns and the Possible Stagnation of Cryptocurrency

Updated: 22 October 2023

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Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, recently addressed questions about his most pressing concerns for Ethereum’s future. In an AMA session on Farcaster, he revealed that he fears the potential stagnation of the crypto world, with concerns about the decline of open internet infrastructure and privacy.

A participant in the AMA also inquired about what predominantly occupies the thoughts of the Canadian-Russian developer. Buterin emphasized his worries about the challenges and potential risks associated with artificial intelligence’s rapid development. He pondered over the capacity of the Ethereum community to constructively tackle these AI-driven issues.

Buterin’s foray into the realm of artificial intelligence isn’t new. With the launch of Worldcoin by AI prodigy Sam Altman this year, a crypto identity protocol, Buterin underscored the necessity for an efficient system to authenticate human identity in a digital space increasingly filled with bots.

As smarter AIs continue to emerge, there’s a growing sentiment that these technologies may heavily influence future tech regulatory policies. Buterin expressed apprehensions about the broader impacts of AI, suggesting that AI developments in the forthcoming decade might dictate significant techno-political decisions, potentially overshadowing the decentralized aspirations of the crypto community.

However, on a positive note, Buterin acknowledged the potential of decentralized social media platforms that incorporate Ethereum sign-in functionalities, such as Farcaster and Lens Protocol. He expressed optimism, voicing his hopes for platforms like Farcaster and Lens to rival giants like Meta in the future.

Ethereum Community and AI

Delving deeper into AI’s intersection with the Ethereum community, Buterin recently engaged in another AMA on the Warpcast decentralized protocol. He reiterated that the AI topic has dominated his reflections lately. He touched upon some of the significant AI concerns, notably X-risk, highlighting the potential for colossal harm to humanity. There’s a burgeoning belief in the symbiotic relationship between Blockchain and AI, with many envisioning a merger of these technologies as a futuristic answer to prevailing global challenges.

For the last week or two, thinking through what my opinions on the various AI-related issues are (including x-risk etc) and how/if the ethereum community could productively engage on them.

Several crypto initiatives are currently probing into AI solutions. Given Buterin’s pivotal role in the crypto universe, his take on the matter adds a unique angle. While he didn’t provide a specific timeline for potential involvement, the community anticipates a comprehensive blog post from Buterin addressing these topics soon.