AI Pause Button: Ethereum's Buterin Calls for Ability to Reduce Worldwide Compute by 99%

This could stop near-superintelligent AI from causing "catastrophic damage," according to Ethereum's Buterin

Cover image via U.Today

In a recent blog post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed potentially reducing the available computing power by up to 99% over the next few years to give humanity a few years to prepare for the singularity.

This could be achieved with the help of location verification and hardware registration.

In addition, Buterin has suggested equipping industrial-scale hardware with a chip that would require authorization for the device to remain operational.

This will help to slow down the progress of AI if there are some signs that near-superintelligent AI is close.

He argues that merely having the ability to dramatically reduce worldwide computing power if necessary would not adversely affect developers.

This could determine if a runaway superintelligent AI ends up winning or losing against humanity, according to Buterin.

As reported by U.Today, Buterin recently proposed addressing some specific threats posed by artificial general intelligence (AGI) such as seizing control over physical infrastructure or manipulating humans with misinformation.

This comes amid growing speculation about the singularity being potentially achieved in the near future. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at such a possibility in his recent social media post.

i always wanted to write a six-word story. here it is:
___
near the singularity; unclear which side.
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 4, 2025

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About the author

Alex Dovbnya

Alex Dovbnya (aka AlexMorris) is a cryptocurrency expert, trader and journalist with extensive experience of covering everything related to the burgeoning industry — from price analysis to Blockchain disruption. Alex authored more than 1,000 stories for U.Today, CryptoComes and other fintech media outlets. He’s particularly interested in regulatory trends around the globe that are shaping the future of digital assets, can be contacted at [email protected].

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AI Pause Button: Ethereum's Buterin Calls for Ability to Reduce Worldwide Compute by 99%

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