Doomers are wrong. Artificial intelligence won’t end the world, but it will end the web as we know it.
Artificial intelligence is already upending the economic alliance of the Internet that has existed since the advent of search engines: a few companies (mostly Google) generate the demand, and creators provide the supply (and derive some advertising revenue or recognition from it). AI tools already generate and summarize content, eliminating the need for users to navigate to content provider sites, thus disrupting the balance.
Meanwhile, an ocean of deepfakes and artificial intelligence bots will make us question reality and reduce people’s trust in the online world. And as massive tech companies – which can afford the most data and computation – continue to invest in artificial intelligence, they will become even more powerful, further chipping away at what’s left of the open internet.
The march of technology is inevitable. I don’t pay attention to it to cry that the sky is falling or to stop progress. We need to assist individual users gain some control over their digital lives. Thoughtful government regulation could assist, but it often slows innovation. Trying to find a one-size-fits-all solution can cause as many problems as it solves. And let’s face it, users are not going to give up their lives on the Internet.
Major technology movements often converge – think of the rise of social, cloud, and mobile technologies in the 2000s. This time is no different: artificial intelligence needs blockchain-enabled computations. Why? First, blockchains enforce ownership. Blockchains can make trustworthy commitments involving ownership, payoffs, and power. A decentralized network of computers – not a immense company or other centralized intermediary – validates transactions, ensuring that rules and records cannot be changed without consensus. Intelligent contracts automate and enforce these ownership rights, creating a system that provides transparency, security and trust, giving users full control and ownership of their digital lives. For creators, this means being able to decide how others – including AI systems – can exploit their work.
Another fundamental property right that blockchains can enforce is identity. If you are who you say you are, you can sign the statement cryptographically confirming it. We could transfer our identity online without relying on third parties. Onchain identities can also assist separate real users from bots and fraudsters. In the 1990s no one on the internet knew if you were a dog. Now people can know for sure whether you are a dog or a bot. I expect that in 2025, more “proof of humanity” will appear on the Internet thanks to recent advances in these technologies.
In 2025, blockchains will be used to create tamper-proof records of original digital content, which will provide protection against deepfakes. When a video, photo or audio is created, blockchains can provide and store a unique digital fingerprint. Any changes to the content change this signature, making it easier to detect manipulation. Blockchains can also store metadata and verification credentials from trusted sources, further ensuring content authenticity.
Finally, in 2025, blockchain will assist achieve the original ideals of the Internet, supporting a more inventive, open and diverse network. Right now, users are dependent on a few internet giants – the same ones that are investing so much in artificial intelligence (and demanding regulations to deter smaller competitors). Websites and applications that were once open-source have added firewalls, restricted or closed their APIs, removed archives, edited previous content without permission, and added intrusive banners and advertisements. In 2025, blockchain alternatives will provide greater choice, open source innovation, and community-controlled options. They will carry the torch of the open internet. Crypto will begin to take power away from massive tech companies, putting it back in the hands of users.