Vitalik Buterin Calls for an Ethereum-Led, Safer AI Future

Co-founder of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin has made a severe criticism. He claims that the present scramble towards the Artificial General Intelligence is a mistaken direction. In his opinion, competition which is based on speed is in no direction. Even more importantly, it augments systemic risk. Vitalik is warning of caution instead of going after scale at all rates. He emphasizes intention. He is a man of safety rather than hype.

🤖 VITALIK CALLS FOR ETHEREUM-LED AI FUTURE

Vitalik Buterin says the “race for AGI” is flawed and wants a safer, decentralized approach built on Ethereum instead.

He backs local AI models plus crypto-style governance to curb Big Tech dominance. pic.twitter.com/iipMc2chFq

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 10, 2026

AI-Free Competitor to Big Tech

Vitalik suggests a decentralized AI ecosystem instead of AI being centralized in the hands of a few corporations. Power dispersion is created through users in this model. The control to Big Tech is gone. Transparency is the new normal. More importantly, Ethereum is at the centre stage. It offers impartial infrastructure. It allows coordination to be open. And it is not monopolistically taken over.

Ether is not a blockchain only. It is a financial coordination layer. The article asserts that AI agents would be able to interact independently in Ethereum via rollups and Layer 2 networks. This led to the AI systems being able to make transactions in a secure way. They might resolve the conflicts on chain. They were able to cryptographically prove actions. This cuts off the assumptions of trust.

Privacy is also another important pillar. Vitalik is a proponent of local AI models as opposed to centralized systems that require lots of data. Such models maintain control by the user. They minimize extraction. They minimize the risk of surveillance. Meanwhile, Ethereum allows making zero-knowledge payments and checks. This enables AI agents to demonstrate results without revealing confidential information. This leads to enhanced safety without functionality.

Cryptocurrency Governance as a Protection

Governance also matters. Vitalik supports crypto-based governance systems in the oversight of AI. Such systems are open. They are programmable. They are community-driven. As a comparison, the traditional AI governance is in the dark. It concentrates power. It lacks accountability. An alternative is provided by Ethereum-based governance. It uses rewards to boost good behavior in a transparent manner. This creates alignment. It discourages wanton expenditure. It brings about consequences in AI ecosystems that they do not have.

Defensive Acceleration Over Blind Scaling

Vitalik has a vision which is in line with defensive acceleration. But it will not accept wantonness. Ethics are enforceable. Ethereium might form the basis as AI and crypto become a more convergent entity. This strategy eventually redefines the AI future. It goes towards domination to coordination. Since mining to empowerment. And blind acceleration to sustainable innovation.