In the crypto world, it is not something until there is an acronym.
We have DeFi. SoFi. DPoS. PoW.
I guess the mindset is that it doesn't exist unless we come up with a cute acronym that people can latch onto. Of course, marketers are all over this, usually creating tokens that "are going to be the next big thing", a push to get people to buy.
Most often, we see outcomes like a rugpull.
That said, we have another one to add to the list: DeAI.
This, however, is not something that is simply made up. We are looking at a major shift about to take place.
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2025: The Year Of Decentralized AI (DeAI)
This is actually a topic that we discussed a great deal over the past year. The idea of Web 3.0 is dead in the water unless data is democratized. It is the first leg.
Of course, this is not the only layer we have to pay attention to. AI models have to be built on blockchain, in open source ways, that allow for the generation of addition data that is not in the hands of Big Tech.
It is a subject that is starting to get attention.
Here is a list of a number of articles that came out, most in just the last few days.
- DCG Launches Yuma, A New Subsidiary Focused on Accelerating Decentralized Intelligence (Businesswire)
- Why We Need Decentralized AI (Coindesk)
As we can see, there are things happening in this space. Money is moving in while development is occurring. People are starting to realize the dangers posed by Big Tech as we move deeper into this technology.
If we thought things were bad with these entities in control of social media, search, commerce, and communications, just wait until they control most aspects of AI.
Personally, that is not a future that I want to see.
Here is the concern:
As people use ChatGPT for tasks ranging from research and brainstorming to copy-editing, a new concern has arisen: If OpenAi controls vast amounts of data and knowledge, what comes next? Is humanity at risk if one entity holds so much power?
The same is true not only for a specific company such as OpenAI. I apply this to Big Tech, the combination of Meta, X, Google, and Amazon (Anthropic).
Blockchain Is The Answer
Since the industry is mostly on crypto, much of the potential is overlooked. Does anyone consider the Internet to be email? Sadly, this is exactly what is happening with blockchain.
Cryptocurrency is simply one application of blockchain technology. The use cases are more expansive than that. Unfortunately, market activity is what the masses are concerned with. This results in the discussion of one's favorite coin or token, usually on traditional social media, which only feeds those companies more data.
This is why it is best to go back to the basics.
Blockchain’s fundamental characteristic is its decentralized nature, which could allow AI to be more open and transparent.
Here is where the potential of blockchain, especially as it relates to AI, emerges.
The general belief is that, with blockchain technology, AI can be truly open-source and transparent, by leveraging several key technologies. For example, decentralized dataset storage ensures data integrity, while smart contracts provide transparent model access and audit trails. on-chain federated learning allows collaborative model training without sharing raw data, and distributed computing networks decentralize AI processing. cross-chain bridges and oracles bring in real-time, reliable off-chain data, while privacy-preserving methods, like zero-knowledge proofs, secure sensitive information.
Isn't this something that sounds more appealing than trusting Sam Altman and believing that he has humanity's best interest in mind?
Of course, it's the data dummy!
This, along with compute, is the currency of this world. Nothing is more important than data. Without it, companies are cooked.
If Web 3.0 has any chance at a future, on-chain data is required. This has to be complimented with models built on top of these networks, transparent and verifiable.
In addition, the reality confronting applications (digital platforms) is that without AI features and services, they are nonexistent. My guess is we are looking at 18-24 months before that is the case.
AI tools will be commonplace. At the same time, we are looking at a rapid shift to AI agents. This is going to be a large portion of the global "workforce" in the future. Is this something that we want in the hands of Big Tech?
Why Will This Happen In 2025?
The blunt answer is we have no choice.
Anyone who is paying even a degree of attention to what is taking place within the AI world realizes how quickly things are progressing.
Generative AI is emerging as a viable component to our society. This is already starting to cause massive disruption in a number of industries. We can expect this to continue.
Then we have spatial intelligence. This is a new realm that is heating up, with many companies racing to get ahead. Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go, is already building geospatial models in an effort to achieve spatial intelligence.
In other words, we are going to likely see a gold rush similar to what took place in the generative AI realm. Due to the money necessary, these will not be small companies.
We are looking at a situation where humanity is about to be left behind. Big Tech is leveraging its power to amass even more control. If we continue on the present path, we will have a handful of companies controlling most aspects of our lives.
This is the case with our online world where a couple dozen corporations run basically everything.
The next iteration could see that number slashed to under 10.
It is a reality that many are starting to wake up to. That said, to be truly effective, we need tens of millions of people to see what is happening and take action in a different direction.