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The founder of Ethereum, VITALIK BUTERIN, is championing the cause of crypto privacy in light of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent blog post, Buterin emphasizes the growing necessity for privacy as AI becomes increasingly adept at data collection and analysis.
Buterin highlights that modern privacy-preserving technologies, such as zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), and obfuscation techniques, surpass the capabilities of the cypherpunks of the 1990s. He warns that the unchecked expansion of AI could lead to an unprecedented erosion of privacy, particularly for everyday individuals.
“Today, privacy can no longer be ignored. AI is greatly increasing capabilities for centralized data collection and analysis while expanding the scope of data we share voluntarily. In the future, technologies like brain-computer interfaces could enable AI to read our minds. Fortunately, we have more powerful tools to preserve privacy today than the 1990s cypherpunks could have imagined,” Buterin wrote.
He acknowledges the need for a balance between privacy and transparency, particularly for powerful entities like corporations and influential individuals. However, he stresses that the larger risk lies in the systemic loss of privacy for the general population.
“Society has always depended on a balance between privacy and transparency. From a macro perspective, the most pressing risk of near-future technology is that privacy will approach all-time lows, creating an imbalance where powerful entities gain access to vast amounts of data while everyday people are left exposed. Supporting universal privacy through open-source, reliable, and safe tools is one of the critical challenges of our time,” Buterin added.
Buterin’s call to action underscores the importance of developing and implementing privacy-preserving technologies to safeguard individuals in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Sources: Vitalik Buterin’s Blog
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