As the world stands on the precipice of a new era marked by the emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Ben Goertzel—a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence—reflects on his three-decade-long journey advocating for decentralized AI. Speaking at the Consensus conference in Toronto, Goertzel expressed optimism that we may soon launch an AGI capable of thinking and generalizing beyond its programming.
Goertzel’s project, SingularityNET, aims to create a decentralized marketplace for AI services. This initiative is underscored by strategic partnerships with entities like Mind Network and the Filecoin Foundation, which have contributed to investments totaling $53 million dedicated to building a modular supercomputer for AGI. Recently, Goertzel also completed a token merger with Ocean Protocol and Fetch.ai to bolster collaborative efforts in decentralized AI development.
The Principle of Decentralization
Reflecting on his early beliefs, Goertzel stated, “In ‘93, it became clear to me AI should be decentralized.” His journey began when he wrote his first lines of decentralized AI code, driven by the conviction that a decentralized internet should culminate in a decentralized AI. However, the tech landscape evolved, drifting toward greater centralization, with giants like Google and Facebook dominating the space.
For Goertzel, the push for decentralized AGI represents not only a technological shift but also a necessary safeguard against monopolistic practices that may arise from centralized power. He argues vehemently that if AGI is to serve humanity, it must be decentralized from inception. This foundational principle guides the architectures of SingularityNET and its associated projects, such as the upcoming ASI Chain, specifically designed for decentralized AI operations.
“The way the post-AGI period goes may be quite different depending on whether the decentralized ecosystem plays a role in it or not,” Goertzel noted, highlighting the critical role of collaboration among decentralized teams.
A Brief Reflection on Decentralized Money
In the 90s, Goertzel also ventured into the concept of decentralized money, inspired by anarchist ideals. Although the time constraints seemed impractical, the concept later materialized in the form of Bitcoin. Ironically, the challenges of transaction speeds and costs that he identified then still persist today.
With early skepticism about the economic models behind decentralized money, Goertzel humorously admitted that he and his peers had not foreseen the potential of utilizing such a platform for less than legitimate ends, acknowledging the implications of the darknet marketplace Silk Road.
As we traverse the landscape of technological innovation, Ben Goertzel stands as a visionary emphasizing the importance of grounding AGI in decentralized principles to ensure that its benefits are equitably distributed. It is a powerful reminder that the future of AI must prioritize an inclusive and decentralized framework, steering away from paths that lead to concentrated power. As we look ahead, one can only hope that collaborations across decentralized platforms will pioneer a brighter future for AGI.
