Ethereum could be AI’s key to decentralization, says former core dev

There is a “huge opportunity” for Ethereum to become a decentralized partner in solving current problems with artificial intelligence platforms, according to a former core Ethereum developer. 

Ethereum’s “biggest mainstream moment is waiting in the wings with AI,” said Eric Connor on X on April 15. 

While AI is on a fast track to reshape almost every aspect of our lives, it is “plagued by black-box models, centralized data silos, and privacy pitfalls,” Connor continued. However, these problems create an opportunity for Ethereum to shine, he said.

Ethereum offers transparency through verifiable smart contracts, decentralization against Big Tech monopolies, aligned incentives via token economies, and built-in micropayment infrastructure, he added. 

Smart contracts can provide transparent records of AI model training processes and data sources, addressing the “black box” problem.

However, major AI players may resist open models “as they profit from secrecy and control,” he said. Demand for transparency, fairness, and security will only grow, and that’s where Ethereum “offers an alternative path,” he added. 

Ethereum already has the ethos with openness, collaboration and trust minimization,  things that ethical and accountable AI needs.

By proactively building the tooling, research and real-world use cases, Ethereum can give AI developers a reason to embrace decentralized approaches, “and that could deliver mainstream adoption far beyond finance,” Connor concluded. 

The next frontier for crypto will be decentralizing AI, Zain Jaffer, co-founder of Vungle, told Cointelegraph earlier this year. 

Connor left the Ethereum community in January amid growing leadership concerns to pursue interests in AI. 

AI agents on Ethereum

Ethereum may also be important for the development of agentic AI — an emerging and experimental technology, according to a recent post on the Ethereum blog. 

AI agents are software programs that use artificial intelligence to autonomously perform tasks, make decisions, learn from data, and adapt to changes, and they are growing in numbers on Ethereum.

The Ethereum blockchain provides key advantages for AI agents, including access to transparent, real-time blockchain data, true digital asset ownership, and the ability to execute transactions and interact with smart contracts, it noted.

The post highlighted three notable projects, which were Luna, an autonomous virtual influencer that controls its own onchain wallet; AIXBT, an AI agent providing crypto market analysis; and Botto, a decentralized autonomous artist creating NFTs guided by community voting.

Meanwhile, projects like Bankr and HeyAnon are simplifying blockchain interactions through conversational interfaces, allowing users to manage wallets and execute transactions via simple chat commands.