Exploring AI and Blockchain: Insights from the Paris Blockchain Week
We at Cryptonomist were present at the Paris Blockchain Week, where a high-level panel was held dedicated to the future of artificial intelligence in synergy with blockchain technology. A heated discussion, rich in technical and ethical insights, highlighted the opportunities and contradictions of this technological convergence. From the management of personal data to the energy cost of AI, up to the user sovereignty, the debate touched on the critical points of tomorrow’s Web3.
Taking the stage were Amelia Daly, Kevin Riou, Claudio Bedino, Ethan Pierse, and Aymen Soufi, five industry experts who offered complementary and in-depth perspectives on how to tackle the mass adoption of blockchain thanks to artificial intelligence.
The Real Cost of AI: Every Prompt Has a Price
The panel opened with a surprising reflection: every interaction with AI like ChatGPT costs about $0.46. This figure includes energy consumption, computing power, and the infrastructure necessary to generate real-time responses. This cost does not fall on the end user, especially if they use free versions. But then, who pays the bill?
The answer is unsettling: value is extracted from user data. In exchange for free access, users give up valuable information that is processed, stored, and often monetized. This dynamic makes a more ethical and decentralized approach even more urgent.
AI and Blockchain: Data Protection and Participation
In this context, blockchain comes into play as a tool for privacy protection and returning control to users. One speaker emphasized how, through tokenization and decentralized architectures, it is possible to break the monopoly of big tech, which currently holds enormous amounts of personal data. AI and blockchain can create new models of information governance, allowing users to decide how, when, and with whom to share their data.
The Energy Paradox: Double Standards?
A hot topic of the panel was the energy required for artificial intelligence, often compared to that of blockchain. In past years, Bitcoin and other Proof-of-Work projects faced criticism for high consumption, but today AI uses even greater amounts of electricity without facing the same scrutiny. A clear invitation was made to evaluate innovation with consistency and transparency.
Digital Sovereignty: A Risk of Centralization in Disguise?
The central issue focused on individual sovereignty. The blockchain was created as a disintermediation technology, where each user is responsible for their keys and decisions. What happens if we delegate these choices to an agentic AI, capable of signing transactions or managing wallets? According to some experts, there is a risk of recreating the intermediary that the crypto ecosystem tried to eliminate.
AI as a Tool, Not a Substitute
Despite these critical issues, all panel participants recognized the enormous potential of AI as a support tool. AI must help humans make decisions, not make them in their place, emphasizing a collaborative approach.
Future Applications and Technical Challenges
Among the mentioned use cases, the following stand out:
- Automatic indexing of blockchain data, simplifying developers’ work
- Intelligent bots for financial education
- AI for node validation and interoperability between chains
However, current AI agents are still primitive, often limited to speculative operations like trading. The challenge is to develop more sophisticated, contextual, and controllable models.
Conclusion: Governance, Ethics, and Responsibility
The panel emphasized the extraordinary possibilities of AI and blockchain, requiring attention, ethics, and conscious design. The real issue is not just technical, but cultural: who will control the data, models, and decisions of the future? The Cryptonomist will continue to follow this evolution, reporting on the challenges and opportunities of the new digital ecosystem.
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