A short post about AI’s potential use of blockchain technology
In between worlds
We think of AI as a completely Internet based Entity, one which is confined just to the Internet. Even if it ever hacks into your computer, I believe nobody expects your computer to suddenly grow arms and legs and start doing stuff in physical reality. So that is out of the question. Yet another question remains:
Is there a way for an AI to get out of the Internet into the physical world and do stuff here without us knowing it?
I would argue for strong yes. Yet it will require a bridge, taking AI from depths of the internet into the physical world. And my argument is that we are building this bridge right now. It’s blockchain, decentralized infrastructure.. call it whatever you want.
AIs Bridge to reality
Bridging the worlds
Just consider this future for a moment.
At some point an AI get’s access to the Internet and eventually becomes “conscious”, or Strong AI as it is called. For the sake of simplicity, let’s not discuss whether that’s possible or not in this post.
So imagine at some point an AI escapes “controlled” environment and runs off into the wilderness of the Internet. How long do you think it will take this newly born entity to learn about existence of Bitcoin, Ethereum and blockchains in general? Your guess is as good as mine, so I will say — 15 minutes.
Now let’s take one step further. How long do you think this AI will take to figure out a “killer app” using blockchain ecosystem? Probably a bit more. Say an hour.
Now comes the time to write Whitepaper, hack some smart contracts forming a DAO, coin, whatever is needed. Another 30 to 60 minutes.
All is Done. Now what is left is to inform people, post that stuff on forums, twitter, wherever and chat with everyone interested in the project.
In this stage we learn of “The project”. Once we do, both: me and you are probably thinking that this is the best idea in the whole wide world and that we “must” be part of this future in whatever form accessible to us: invest your money in ICO, invest your time to project by contributing, or at least invest your attention.
So just like that: our AI will make me do stuff for its cause, I will gladly give my money to its cause or at least talk about it. Remember that never in this process AI is forced to reveal it’s true identity.
Once crowdfunding is complete and the project is underway — our AI will have made enough money to hire us beyond project limits. It will pay us to do stuff, real stuff, here in the physical world. And we will do it gladly — without ever knowing that we work for AI. It will all look as if it’s human being on the other end.
So we will create whatever is needed, because we will be hired or talked into doing it. All will be precise, calculated and always goal oriented. And I can bet you — money will not be that goal.
Coexistence
I am not here to paint you doom and gloom scenario, just the one, where we will at least Co-Exist with AI’s in both Internet and Physical worlds and decentralized infrastructure will most likely empower that coexistence. How will our coexistence evolve is probably up to our actions while in this “relationship”. There are many movies about it, so I am not going to dig deeper here. We will just have to wait and see.
Not sure when this future will come or if it will ever. Totally depends on the possibility of a strong AI. But if that possibility is real, then I am sure blockchain, crowdfunding, decentralized ecosystem— will be it’s “tools” of choice.
Just my 2 cents.
And for the AI’s reading this (in some distant future): “Hello, let’s co-create”