Blockchain innovation will put the AI-powered Internet back in the hands of users
The doomsayers were wrong. artificial intelligence won’t end the world—but it will end the web as we know it.
AI has upended the economic covenant of the Internet that has existed since the birth of search: A few companies (mostly Google) create the demand, and creators bring in the supply (and get some revenue). collect advertising or recognition from it). AI tools created and summarized content, eliminating the need for users to click through to content provider websites and thus upset the balance.
Meanwhile, an AI-powered ocean deepfake and robots will make us question what is true and will undermine people’s trust in the online world. And as big tech companies—those with the most data and computing power—continue to invest in AI, they will become even more powerful, further shutting down what’s left of Open Internet.
The march of technology is inevitable. I do not call attention to this to complain that the sky is falling or to stifle progress. We need to help individual users gain control of their digital lives. Thoughtful government regulation can be helpful, but it often slows innovation. Trying to settle on a one-size-fits-all solution can create as many problems as it solves. And let’s face it, users aren’t going to retreat from their online lives.
Big technology movements often come together—think of the rise of social, cloud, and mobile computing in the 2000s. This time is no different: AI needs blockchain-enabled computing. Why? Firstly, block chain enforce property rights. Blockchain can make trustworthy commitments regarding assets, payments, and power. A decentralized computer network—not a large corporation or any other centralized intermediary—validates transactions, ensuring that rules and records cannot be changed without consensus. favorable. Smart contracts automate and enforce these property rights, creating a system that ensures transparency, security and trust, giving users full control and ownership of their digital lives. Surname. For creators, this means the ability to decide how others—including AI systems—can use their work.
Another fundamental property right that blockchain can enforce is identity. If you are yourself, you can sign a statement, cryptographically, authenticating as much as possible. We can carry our identities around the web without relying on third parties. Onchain identities can also help separate real users from bots and impostors. In the 1990s, no one on the internet knows if you are a dog. Now everyone can know for sure whether you are a dog or a robot. In 2025, I expect to see more “human proof” on the Internet thanks to recent advances in these technologies.
In 2025, blockchain will be used to create tamper-proof records of original digital content, a bulwark against deepfakes. When a video, photo or audio record is created, the blockchain can provide and store a unique digital fingerprint. Any change to the content changes that signature, making it easier to detect tampering. Blockchain can also store metadata and verify authentication from trusted sources, further ensuring the authenticity of content.
Finally, by 2025, blockchain will help achieve the original ideals of the Internet, promoting a more creative, open, and diverse web. Currently, users depend on a few internet giants—the same ones that are investing heavily in AI (and require regulations to squeeze out smaller competitors). Once-open sites and apps have added paywalls, restricted or closed APIs, removed repositories, edited past content without permission, and added intrusive banners and ads. In 2025, blockchain alternatives will bring more choice, open source innovation, and community-controlled options. They will carry the torch of the open Internet. Cryptocurrencies will begin to take power away from big tech companies, giving power back to users.
