According to investor Murad Mahmudov, the tech world is on the brink of a prolonged power struggle. He believes that artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain will not converge in the coming years but will instead stand in opposition. His analysis outlines a tension that he says could last for decades and will be decisive for how power, data, and ownership evolve.
AI Pushes Centralization, Blockchain Pushes Decentralization #
Mahmudov states that the rise of AI unleashes natural forces that lead to centralization. Large corporations possess vast datasets and powerful hardware, causing AI systems to quickly run on closed infrastructures with high barriers to entry. This, he argues, makes the technology susceptible to power concentration.
Blockchain, in Mahmudov’s view, represents the exact opposite. The idea behind blockchain technology revolves around open networks, distributed decision-making, and control that is not held by a single party. This creates a fundamental tension between two models that are both becoming increasingly important.
Mahmudov does not expect this conflict to be resolved quickly. Developments will continue, and the underlying interests will clash, making the struggle inevitable for decades, in his opinion.
“The coming decades will in some ways be a kind of arms race between the centralizing forces of AI and the decentralizing forces of cryptography,” he stated.
What’s at Stake? #
While Mahmudov doesn’t provide a concrete timeline, he sees the struggle as a major technological and societal showdown. The question is which infrastructure—centralized or decentralized—will gain the upper hand in a world where more and more activities take place digitally.
In his analysis, he emphasizes the potential risks if AI becomes further concentrated in the hands of a few players who gain all the control. At the same time, he shows why proponents of crypto technology continue to advocate for systems that know no central control. Mahmudov suggests the outcome will influence privacy, power, and digital property rights.
Researchers are also looking at potential collaboration between the two sides. There, it is emphasized that the combination of blockchain and AI could offer new possibilities for secure and transparent data processing. Mahmudov, however, emphasizes the tension between the two worlds: according to him, the gap between the two systems is large enough to unleash a long-term power struggle.
The exact form this will take remains uncertain. “I think we’re still in the early stages, and we’ll see more of it in the coming years,” he concluded.