Original title: Blockchain Innovation Will Put an AI-Powered Internet Back Into Users’ Hands
Author: Chris Dixon, founding partner of a16z Crypto
Compiled by: Hailsman, ChainCatcher
Apocalyptics 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 search emerged: a few companies (mainly Google) create demand, while creators provide supply (and earn some advertising revenue or recognition from it). AI tools have generated and summarized content, eliminating the need for users to click through to content provider websites, thus breaking the balance.
Meanwhile, a large number of AI-driven deep fakes and bots will make us question what is real and erode people's trust in the online world. With the advent of the AI era, large tech companies that have the power to handle vast amounts of data and computing capabilities will continue to invest in artificial intelligence, and these companies that rely on monopolizing resources will become even more powerful, making the remaining parts of the already closed internet even more closed.
Technological advancement is inevitable. My call for attention is not to cry that the sky is falling or to hinder progress. We need to help individual users gain some control over their digital lives. Thoughtful government regulation can help, but it often slows down innovation. Attempting 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 occur simultaneously - 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 credible commitments involving property, expenditure, and power. A decentralized computer network (not big companies, nor 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 ensures transparency, security, and trust, allowing users to fully control and own 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 as you claim, you can sign a cryptographic statement to prove it. We can carry our identity online without relying on third parties. On-chain identity can also help distinguish real users from bots and impostors. 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 advancements in these technologies, I expect to see more 'proof of humanity' on the internet.
In 2025, blockchain will be used to create tamper-proof records of original digital content, becoming a fortress against deep fakes. 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, by 2025, blockchain will help realize the internet's original ideals, promoting a more creative, open, and diverse web. Currently, users rely on a few internet giants - these giants have invested heavily in artificial intelligence (and are pushing for regulations to keep smaller competitors out). Once-open websites and apps have increased paywalls, restricted or shut down APIs, deleted archives, edited past content without permission, and added intrusive banners and ads.
In 2025, blockchain alternatives will offer more choices, open-source innovations, and community-controlled options. They will uphold the torch of the open internet. Cryptocurrencies will begin to take power from large tech companies and return it to users.