Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has detailed a comprehensive vision for the intersection of Ethereum and artificial intelligence (AI), outlining how the two technologies can work together to improve markets, financial safety, and human agency. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Buterin argued that humans should be empowered by AI rather than replaced, with near-term applications focusing on more "ordinary" but impactful integrations.
Buterin identified four key areas for Ethereum-AI synergy. First, he emphasized enabling trustless and private interactions with AI, addressing concerns over data leaks from large language models (LLMs). He pointed to the need for tooling that allows LLMs to run locally on personal devices and the use of zero-knowledge proofs for anonymous API calls to protect user privacy.
Second, Buterin proposed that Ethereum could serve as the economic layer for AI-to-AI interactions. This would allow AI agents to engage in decentralized economic activities, such as hiring each other, handling API calls, and making security deposits, thereby enabling "more decentralized authority."
The third area involves using AI to fulfill the "mountain man" ideal of verifying everything on-chain. Buterin suggested that AI agents could act as a user's middleman to the blockchain, auditing every transaction, interacting with decentralized apps, and suggesting actions to users. This could be a major boon for security, helping combat sophisticated scams like address poisoning, which have seen a significant uptick.
Finally, Buterin believes AI can enhance on-chain governance and markets. He noted that theoretical concepts like prediction markets and decentralized governance are hampered by "limits to human attention and decision-making power." LLMs, he argued, can remove that limitation and "massively scale human judgement," making these systems more viable.
Buterin's vision aligns with the proposed ERC-8004 standard for building decentralized AI infrastructures. He also engaged in philosophical debate, responding to Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko's views on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Buterin rejected what he called a "narrow focus" on AGI, emphasizing instead a broader integration of AI and crypto perspectives focused on human empowerment and safety.
