Why Decentralized AI Is Gaining Steam

A year ago, “Crypto+AI” sounded like a game of “VC mad libs.” Now, as real-world applications begin to emerge, the idea makes much more sense.

As AI becomes a greater part of our lives — and that feels inevitable — it will have the power to shape how we see the world, how we interact with the world, and how we present to the world. It could shape how we think.

Should this be controlled by the billionaire de jour?

Let’s look at two concrete examples, one that’s straightforward and one that’s chilling. The next frontier of Gen AI is likely the rise of AI agents, which can do things like book your flight, pay your phone bill, or invest your money in stocks. (“Hey Siri, go ahead and put $1,000 in the S&P.”)

Do we want Big Tech to control not just our data, but also what we do with it?

More chilling: It’s likely that millions of people will someday use AI chatbots — perhaps through audio or even video — as coaches or even therapists. Early versions are here now. (On my podcast AI-Curious, for example, I interviewed a longtime coach who’s working with the German Research Center to develop AI-based personal coaching. It’s coming. It’s inevitable.) Millions of people will share their inner-most thoughts, longings, fears, sexual desires, confessions and embarrassments. Do we want this sliced and diced by Zuckerberg and co.?

The decentralized and privacy-preserving tech of blockchain, potentially, could give us the fruits of AI without the poison of Big Tech.