Vitalik Buterin wants Ethereum [ETH] to be the backbone of decentralized AI, but the timing for his big vision is... well, awkward at best. The long-term pitch is perhaps getting bigger, but Ethereum is under real pressure right now.
The pitch for control
Rather than pitching Ethereum as a way to build super intelligent AI faster, Buterin recently argued that the framing itself can use a bit of work. To him, “working on AGI” is an empty goal, one that prioritizes power over purpose.
Instead, he wants AI to move in a direction that protects people. That means avoiding futures where humans lose power; neither to machines nor to systems controlled by a few institutions.
In this picture, Ethereum is support infrastructure. One role is helping people interact with AI in safer and more private ways, such as using local models, making payments without exposing identity. It also includes verifying what AI systems are doing instead of blindly trusting them. Another role is acting as a shared economic layer, where AI programs can pay each other, post deposits, or build reputation without a central authority.
Longer term, AI could help make old crypto ideas actually usable. Buterin stated,
“We can revisit the best ideas from 2014... and with AI (and ZK) we have a whole new set of tools to make them come to life.”
