Original title: Blockchain Innovation Will Put an AI-Powered Internet Back Into Users Hands
Original author: Chris Dixon, Founding Partner of a16z Crypto
Original translation: Heilsman, ChainCatcher
The doomsayers are wrong. AI won’t end the world — but it will end the web as we know it.
AI has already upended the economic contract of the internet that has existed since the advent of search: a few companies (mostly Google) bring the demand, and creators bring the supply (and get some ad revenue or recognition for it). AI tools have tipped the balance by generating and summarizing content, eliminating the need for users to click through to content providers’ websites.
At the same time, a large number of AI-driven deep fakes and robots will make us question what is real and reduce peoples trust in the online world. As the AI era arrives, large technology companies with the ability to process large amounts of data and computing power will continue to invest in AI. These companies will become more powerful by relying on monopoly resources, making the rest of the Internet, which is already not open, even more closed.
The progress of technology is inevitable. I’m not calling attention to this to cry that the sky is falling, or to thwart progress. We need to help individual users gain some control over their digital lives. Thoughtful government regulation can help, but it tends to slow innovation. Trying a one-size-fits-all solution is likely to create as many problems as it solves. And, let’s face it, users aren’t going to give up their online lives.
Major technology movements tend to go hand in hand—think of the rise of social, cloud, and mobile computing in the 21st century. This time is no different: AI requires blockchain-powered computing.
Why? First, blockchains can enforce ownership rights. Blockchains can make trusted promises involving property, spending, and power. A decentralized network of computers (not big companies or other centralized intermediaries) verifies transactions, ensuring that rules and records cannot be changed without consensus. Smart contracts automate and enforce these ownership rights, creating a system that ensures transparency, security, and trust, giving users full control and ownership of their digital lives. For creators, it means they can decide how others (including AI systems) use their work.
Another fundamental property right that blockchain can enforce is identity. If your identity is who you claim to be, you can sign a cryptographic statement to prove it. We can carry our own identities on the web without relying on third parties. On-chain identity can also help distinguish real users from bots and imposters. In the 1990s, no one on the internet knew if you were a dog or a robot. Now, people can know for sure if you are a dog or a robot. By 2025, I expect to see more “proof of humanity” on the internet thanks to recent advances in these technologies.
In 2025, blockchain will be used to create a tamper-proof record of original digital content, becoming a bulwark against deepfakes. When a video, photo, or recording is created, the blockchain can provide and store a unique digital fingerprint. Any changes to the content will change 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 handful of internet giants—who have invested heavily in artificial intelligence (and demanded regulations to keep smaller competitors out). Once-open websites and apps 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 offer more choice, open source innovation, and community control. They will carry the flame of an open internet. Cryptocurrencies will begin to take power away from big tech companies and put it back in the hands of users.
