Article sourced from: ChainCatcher
Original title: Blockchain Innovation Will Put an AI-Powered Internet Back Into Users’ Hands
Author: Chris Dixon, founding partner of a16z Crypto
Compiled by: Heisman, ChainCatcher
Doomsayers are wrong. Artificial intelligence will not destroy the world—but it will destroy the internet as we know it.
Artificial intelligence has disrupted the internet economic contract that has existed since the advent of search: a handful of companies (primarily Google) create demand, while creators provide supply (and earn some ad revenue or recognition from it). AI tools have generated and summarized content, eliminating the need for users to click into content provider websites, thus breaking the balance.
Meanwhile, a plethora of AI-driven deepfakes and bots will make us question what is real and diminish trust in the online world. With the advent of the AI era, large tech companies, which have the capacity to handle vast amounts of data and computing power, will continue to invest in artificial intelligence, and these companies reliant on monopolistic resources will become even more powerful, making the already closed parts of the internet even less open.
Technological advancement is inevitable. My call for attention to this is not to sound the alarm or hinder progress. We need to help individual users gain some control over their digital lives. Thoughtful government regulation may help, but it often slows down innovation. A one-size-fits-all solution may create as many problems as it solves. And let's face it, users will not give up their online lives.
Major technological movements often advance in tandem—think of the rise of social media, cloud computing, and mobile computing in the 21st century. This time is no exception: artificial intelligence needs blockchain-supported computing.
Why? First, blockchain can enforce ownership. Blockchain can make trustworthy commitments regarding property, spending, and power. A decentralized network of computers (not large companies or other centralized intermediaries) verifies transactions, ensuring that rules and records cannot be changed without consensus. Smart contracts automate and enforce these ownerships, creating a system that guarantees transparency, security, and trust, allowing users full control and ownership of their digital lives. For creators, this means they can decide how others (including AI systems) use their works.
Another fundamental ownership that blockchain can enforce is identity. If your identity is what you claim it to be, you can sign a cryptographic statement to prove it. We can carry our identities online without relying on third parties. On-chain identity can also help distinguish real users from bots and impersonators. In the 1990s, no one on the internet knew if you were a dog or a bot. Now, people can know exactly whether you are a dog or a bot. By 2025, due to the latest advances in these technologies, I expect more 'proof of humanity' to emerge on the internet.
In 2025, blockchain will be used to create tamper-proof records of original digital content, becoming a fortress against deepfakes. When creating videos, photos, or recordings, blockchain can provide and store a unique digital fingerprint. Any changes to the content will alter that signature, making tampering easily detectable. Blockchain can also store metadata and verification proofs from trusted sources, further ensuring the authenticity of the content.
Finally, in 2025, blockchain will help realize the original ideals of the internet, promoting a more creative, open, and diverse web. Currently, users rely on a few internet giants—these giants have invested heavily in AI (and demand regulations to prevent smaller competitors from entering). Once-open websites and applications have added paywalls, restricted or shut down APIs, deleted archives, edited past content without permission, and added intrusive banners and ads.
In 2025, blockchain alternatives will provide more options, open-source innovation, and community-controlled choices. They will carry the torch of the open internet high. Cryptocurrencies will begin to wrest power from large tech companies and return it to users.