Blockchain AI cannibalizes decentralized AI

Web3 AI projects often force blockchain integration to access capital, harming innovation by prioritizing ecosystem compatibility over practical AI solutions.

Opinion by: Samuele Marro, PhD student in machine learning at the University of Oxford

The Web3 AI space has fallen into a trap. Somewhere along the way, “decentralized AI” became synonymous with “blockchain AI.” This false equivalency actively harms innovation. 

Excellent decentralized AI projects contort themselves into blockchain frameworks, not because it makes technical sense, but because that’s the only way to access Web3 funding, expertise and communities. The blockchain-first mentality isn’t just limiting what decentralized AI could become; it’s cannibalizing it.

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