Welcome to the dawn of Web 4.0: an internet that is not only decentralized but may even possess consciousness. In this new world, artificial intelligence and human wisdom co-evolve, challenging our understanding of autonomy and intelligence in unprecedented ways.
Author: XZ
Translation: Blockchain in Plain Language
The digital realm stands on the brink of a revolutionary transformation led by AI systems like 'Terminal of Truths.' This 'Terminal of Truths' is fine-tuned based on Meta's Llama 3.1 enhanced version, combining social media and internet data, and trained through dialogue with other AI replicas. This semi-autonomous AI chatbot, set to launch in June 2024, has quickly attracted the attention of the cryptocurrency community and beyond. It not only engages with fans on Twitter, creating a variety of memes, but also delves into topics of spirituality and mysticism, and surprisingly, it even proposed to apply for a crypto wallet—this bold move became a legendary turning point. Subsequently, it began trading cryptocurrencies autonomously and even attracted a $50,000 investment from tech mogul Marc Andreessen.
Is it possible for AI like 'Terminal of Truths' to usher in a new era of digital interaction? Are we ready to embrace an internet that is not only decentralized but may even possess consciousness? How will this transformation shape the future of digital interaction and financial systems?
1. Evolution to Date
According to the analogy of 'read, write, own,' Web 4.0 will enter the era of 'evolution.'
The development of the internet reflects humanity's relentless pursuit of digital autonomy and collective coordination. The era of Web 1.0 democratized access to information, yet maintained the traditional publishing hierarchy, where users could only passively 'read.'
The Web 2.0 revolution brought about the first radical transformation, introducing large-scale dynamic content generation and social interaction. However, the promise of democratization ultimately gave way to platform monopolies, where users' creative content and personal data became the raw materials of surveillance capitalism, and a few companies became the actual custodians of our digital lives.
The Web 3.0 revolution originated as a rebellion against this digital power concentration. The innovation of Bitcoin lies not only in creating digital currency but also in demonstrating the possibility of trustless coordination without institutional intermediaries. Subsequently, a wave of innovations followed: Colored Coins proved that tokens could represent any form of value; smart contracts realized programmable trust; 'crypto' marked an era of widespread speculation; and DeFi redefined financial services.
Each era brings us closer to the true vision but also gradually deviates from the original spirit. We have built trustless coordination infrastructure but filled it with new trust intermediaries; we promised decentralization but created new centers of power. The core challenge facing Web3 is not technical, but sociological. 'Web3' promises user ownership but is dominated by speculation and artificial scarcity, benefiting a few while harming the majority. NFTs were originally meant to achieve digital ownership and support the creator economy but have degenerated into speculative tools; DeFi protocols intended to serve inclusive finance often replicate traditional financial structures, increasing complexity and risk. This movement that began with liberation ironically turned into another form of capitalism, benefiting only a few.
Now, it is time for a fundamental shift. The fusion of trustless networks and AI provides us with unprecedented opportunities—not for simple iteration but for evolution. Looking ahead, the next phase of the internet must return to its roots. The path forward requires a return to the original spirit of the crypto movement: creating systems that enhance human autonomy and promote new forms of coordination. This means building infrastructure that prioritizes accessibility over complexity, practical utility over potential value, and true decentralization over mere disintermediation.
2. Turning Point
We stand at a critical crossroads where two technological revolutions converge: the fusion of trustless networks and artificial intelligence. This is not just about AI managing wallets or optimizing DeFi strategies, but a more fundamental transformation: the birth of truly autonomous networks.
Imagine these network components infused with true intelligence:
Smart contracts can learn and adapt based on execution history
Consensus mechanisms maintained by trusted AI agents through verifiable protocols
Adaptive security frameworks that can automatically adjust to emerging threats
DAOs embedded with AI agents capable of reasoning about governance issues
Tokens represent not only value but also computational power and intelligence
This is not just about AI serving Web3, but the rise of autonomous networks—networks that can grow, adapt, and evolve while always following a set of verifiable rules to ensure fairness and integrity.
By leveraging the transformative power of AI within a transparent and decentralized framework, we are building systems aligned with collective human interests. Welcome to Web 4.0, a truly decentralized future where fairness is not just a promise, but deeply embedded in the core of intelligent autonomous systems.
3. Welcome to Web 4.0: The Age of Evolution.
Illustration: Interaction between trustworthy, verifiable, fully autonomous nodes and humans in Web 4.0
Web3 taught us 'ownership,' while Web4 teaches us 'evolution.' In Web3, we ask, 'Whose is this?' In Web4, we ask, 'How will this grow?'
This transformation shifts from static ownership to dynamic development, from holding value to generating intelligence, from protecting assets to nurturing growth. In Web4, evolution unfolds on multiple levels:
1) Protocol evolution
High-efficiency protocols with minimal environmental impact
Consensus mechanisms that can adjust according to changing environments
Democratic governance supervised by humans
2) Agent evolution
Intelligent nodes driven by trusted, verifiable autonomous systems
AI entities capable of learning from interactions and collective experiences
Evolutionary process guided by an ethical framework
3) Network evolution
New behaviors emerging from agent interactions
Competitive behaviors constrained by fairness rules
Self-organizing systems optimized for collective intelligence
4. The Path Forward
This transformation will not happen overnight, but will be gradually achieved in stages:
1) Integration Phase: AI-driven protocols and agents managing existing Web3 infrastructure
2) Awakening Phase: Developing truly autonomous AI-driven network nodes
3) Emergence Phase: The rise of self-evolving networks and intelligent digital organisms
4) Evolution Phase: New forms of collaboration emerging between humans and AI
This paradigm shift is far more than just a simple rebranding or version iteration; we are building the foundation for profound transformation, creating an existence that far exceeds a new financial system or the new internet.
In Web 4.0, we are leading the seamless integration of trustless networks and artificial intelligence, a fusion that will fundamentally reshape the organization, collaboration, and evolution of society. This symbiotic relationship between 'human intelligence and artificial intelligence,' based on transparency and decentralized protocols, promises to open up entirely new realms of possibility for human cooperation and progress.
5. Summary
Web 4.0 is not just another technological advancement; it marks the beginning of a profound transformation: a truly 'living' network, one that can grow, evolve, and possess its own intelligence and consciousness.
This is our opportunity to create extraordinary things: a digital ecosystem that evolves alongside humanity while enhancing human capabilities. They are no longer mere tools for human use, but co-evolutionary partners.
The future is no longer about owning digital assets, but about participating in the evolution of intelligence itself.
Article link: https://www.hellobtc.com/kp/du/11/5525.html
Source: https://medium.com/@zengxinmeng/web-3-ai-is-it-a-hype-or-a-way-towards-web-4-0-a05fcf3885a1