In a thought-provoking essay, blockchain pioneer Trent McConaghy argues that artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are destined to converge, enabling a new phase of human evolution - or potentially humanity's downfall. AI experts weigh in on whether decentralized AI can rein in unaligned superintelligence.

The meteoric rise of large language models like ChatGPT has fueled intense speculation about integrating AI with blockchain. But tech visionaries warn that while blockchain could make AI more transparent, the solutions face daunting technical obstacles. Meanwhile, rogue AI could still outpace regulation. One contrarian proposes cybernetic enhancements to keep humans competitive.

This article will cover the expert debate on -AI, provide a neutral opinion, argue how Bitcoin enables individual empowerment, predict the trajectory of the AI "arms race," draw parallels to nuclear technology, and answer key questions on opportunities and threats.

The Great Crypto-AI Debate

Trent McConaghy has evangelized integrating AI and blockchain for years. His Ocean Protocol seeks to decentralize access to data to democratize AI development.

Experts generally agree blockchain could audit data provenance and expand available datasets. "Blockchain is the world's strongest copy protection technology," notes Casper Labs' Mrinal Manohar. Ali Yahya of Andreessen Horowitz says blockchain enables a "long tail" of individual data contributions.

Verifying compute contributions on-chain, however, poses thorny technical obstacles. Harry Grieve of Gensyn explains, "Bitcoin is hard to compute, easy to verify. Machine learning is hard to compute, also hard to verify." Coordinating decentralized resources creates immense "distributed system challenges."

Meanwhile, critics contend crypto is unnecessary for ethical AI advances. Much progress uses only cryptography, not cryptocurrency. "You don't need blockchain for everything related to cryptography," says Allison Duettmann of Foresight Institute.

A Cautiously Optimistic Prognosis

Integrating blockchain and AI appears tremendously promising yet prohibitively difficult. near-term applications may emerge, but mainstream adoption could take years. Success likely hinges on crafting intuitive user experiences.

Ultimately, while crypto-AI offers hopeful transparency, unregulated AGIs could still run amok. We must pursue blockchain solutions while bracing for formidable challenges ahead.

Bitcoin Empowers Individuals to Control Their Own Data

Bitcoin's core innovation is enabling self-sovereign control of digital property. Today, tech giants hoard personal data while individuals lack property rights. Blockchain returns data ownership to users, allowing individuals to selectively share information and profit from its value. Thus Bitcoin is key to decentralizing AI development.

The AI "Arms Race" Could Quickly Run Off the Rails

History suggests that attempting to restrain technological progress proves fruitless. The nuclear arms race led to steady proliferation despite non-proliferation treaties. With AI research rapidly advancing worldwide, unaligned superintelligence likely emerges eventually, regulation notwithstanding. We must prepare for this eventuality.

Akin to Nuclear Technology, AI Demands Prudence

Like nuclear fission, AI is a fundamentally dual-use technology with immense promise and peril. Nuclear energy powers cities yet fuels doomsday weapons. AI can enable wondrous applications or malevolent actors. The atom bomb revolutionized warfare; autonomous AI could profoundly disrupt society. We must approach this transformative force with wisdom.

How Can Blockchain Help Rein in Rogue AI?

Blockchain facilitates transparency and access control for data and models, enabling ethical oversight. Auditability deters foul play while tokenized incentives expand data supply. If implemented properly, blockchain could make AI development more democratic, open and aligned with human values. But technical and adoption challenges remain daunting. Blockchain is no panacea but a promising piece of the AI accountability puzzle.

If AGIs Inevitably Outpace Humans, How Might We Coexist?

Trent McConaghy controversially argues that superintelligent AGIs will inevitably view human preferences as irrelevant. Just as humans disregard ants, AGI may dismiss biological humanity. Yet coexistence may be possible. McConaghy envisions cybernetic enhancements like brain-computer interfaces to radically augment human intelligence. By merging with technology, humanity could become "Nature 2.0", keeping pace with machines. Whether such a profound transformation is achievable or desirable remains speculative. For now, we must focus on making AGIs beneficial.