Ethereum can solve AI decentralization problem
Ethereum positioned as future infrastructure for ethical AI systems.
Ethereum could emerge as a critical infrastructure layer for the future of artificial intelligence (AI), offering solutions to the growing concerns over transparency, data control, and accountability in current AI systems.
According to Eric Conner, a former core Ethereum developer, the blockchain network’s “biggest mainstream moment is waiting in the wings with AI”, reports Cointelegraph.
In an April 15 post on X, Conner highlighted the “black-box” nature of today’s leading AI platforms, along with centralized data silos and privacy concerns. Ethereum’s decentralized architecture, verifiable smart contracts, and built-in micropayment systems offer a potential remedy, he said. “Ethereum already has the ethos with openness, collaboration and trust minimization — things that ethical and accountable AI needs,” Conner added.
Smart contracts, for instance, could provide traceable records of AI training datasets and algorithmic decisions, addressing industry calls for explainable AI. However, Conner acknowledged that major AI corporations may resist open standards, citing their reliance on secrecy for competitive advantage.
Agentic AI and Ethereum’s evolving role
Ethereum may also underpin the rise of “agentic AI” — autonomous software programs capable of decision-making, learning, and self-improvement. A recent post on the Ethereum Foundation blog pointed to several examples of this trend, including Luna, a virtual influencer managing its own onchain wallet, and Botto, a decentralized art-generating AI that responds to community input.
These emerging applications highlight how AI agents can benefit from Ethereum’s transparent data layer, asset ownership mechanisms, and smart contract interoperability. Projects like AIXBT and HeyAnon are further demonstrating how Ethereum infrastructure can support AI-driven analytics and simplified user interactions via conversational interfaces.
Conner, who left the Ethereum core team in January to focus on AI, said Ethereum has a unique opportunity to align with ethical AI development. “If the Ethereum community builds the tools and real-world use cases,” he said, “it could drive mainstream adoption far beyond the financial sector.”
Recently we wrote, that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed its decision on whether to allow Ethereum staking in Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust ETF and Ethereum Mini Trust ETF.
