Yesterday, Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, shared his thoughts on the relationship between cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence (AI) in a blog post. He addressed the most fruitful intersections between crypto and AI and highlighted the importance of designing mechanisms that incorporate AI actors on a smaller scale. However, he cautioned against attempting to create a decentralized and reliable AI using blockchain and crypto techniques, as these applications pose greater risks of failure and require more caution.
Buterin mentioned Worldcoin as a notable project that has made strides in reducing black-box attacks by limiting access to AI models. Worldcoin uses AI models at the protocol level to convert iris scans into easily comparable “iris codes” and verifies the scanned object’s identity. Buterin also identified four categories of potential overlaps between AI and blockchain: AI as a player in a game, AI as a game interface, AI establishing and controlling game rules, and using AI to establish long-term strategies for building better AI models.
While concrete applications of blockchain in relation to AI activities are not explicitly mentioned, Buterin acknowledges the development potentials in this space. He advises caution due to the risks involved and highlights the challenges of incorporating AI into the crypto world, such as potential overloads and contradictory machine learning. While there is potential for widespread use of AI in the crypto field, it is still a pioneering phase with many obstacles to overcome.