A lot is said about the major technology players in AI.
There is little doubt that companies such as Google, Meta, and xAI are powerful forces. The sheer purchasing power they wield is beyond the comprehension of most. They play purchases in the billions.
Here is where we see a major advantage given to the larger players. But what about open source or the decentralized realm? This is something that might be on its way.
This video is an interview with Janet Evans, CEO of SingularityNet. It is one of the frontier companies in the decentralized AI world.
A lot is made of blockchain. So far, the technology is really noting more than a casino for token/coin speculation.
We are seeing a move into finance, with stablecoins being the for major application. As Wall Street firms enter, we can expect the volumes to skyrocket.
For years, many have stated that the real breakthrough is blockchain. Leaving the token speculation aside, what is the value of a transparent, decentralized database, especially when it comes to AI?
Many of the fears that people have regarding the technology disappears when it blockchain is included. The idea of overlords vanishes is AI models are running on platforms that are tied to blockchains. Thus, the basis of the system is not controlled by a single entity.
This likely will take on added meaning when we progress closer to artificial super intelligence (ASI). Of course, this is difficult to define since the word "intelligence" has many meanings.
Nevertheless, most believe we are heading towards a time where our systems will be gaining knowledge at a rate that far exceeds anything humans are remotely capable of. Here is where things hit escape velocity.
Regulations are useless in this discussion.
To start, as stated in the video, there is no uniform regulation. This is done at the national level, meaning regulatory arbitrage is available. At the same time, developers and entrepreneurs outwork regulators.
The latter tends to be on a fixed schedule. People in the technology field, on the other hand, are working long hours, driven by passion.
Here is where the gap between the two exists.
Then we have the fact that we are likely talking about trillions of dollars at stake. It is a race that is simply to big to ignore. Countries are trying to position themselves so their companies win. The two keys in this are the US and China.
Of course, this is still focusing upon the centralized versions. Each corporation that we mention is a silo. It is working on its own development, creating its personal stack that is available to nobody else.
Decentralization turns this on its ear. While everything might not be open source, it is a major feeder system that allows for the continual evolution of the technology. Data, for example, when posted to a blockchain, is open for all to use. This is a major shift from the structure employed by Big Tech.
Technology that is decentralized carries less risk. That does not mean it is inherently safe. We know there will always be bad actors.
One thing we can say is that those at top do not pose the risk because, under this scenario, there is nobody at the top. Some might have a better position but the key is alternatives exist. An individual is not relegated between choosing one giant extractor or another.
