Written by: Saito

I just finished watching Vitalik on this episode of a16z's podcast, and the information is overwhelming.

He founded Ethereum at 19, and now in his early 30s, he has transformed from "autopilot" to "active pilot".

The core topic of this episode is the most anxious question we are facing today: As AI becomes stronger, what should humanity do?

Vitalik's answer is not to "fight AI," but to create sanctuary technologies. These technologies protect us without stripping away our privacy and agency.

Today, I will break down the most counterintuitive viewpoints, practical advice, and new positioning of Ethereum from this episode.

The biggest risk in the AI era is not that AI is too intelligent, but that humans are too passive

Vitalik openly states that today's world is less secure and less peaceful than it was 10 to 15 years ago.

Many people seek a sense of "security": entrusting everything to "the uncle in the sky," meaning large companies, super AI, and centralized systems, letting them make decisions for us, manage risks, and provide protection.

However, the price of this security is that we lose our privacy and our agency.

Vitalik calls this security disempowering safety, which leaves people increasingly powerless.

This is where he reinterprets the mission of crypto / Ethereum. The meaning of Ethereum is not to "fix the dollar," nor to mend the existing financial system, but to create a new option. You can freely choose whether to use it or not.

This is true sanctuary: both secure and allowing you to retain sovereignty.

Sanctuary Technologies: Allowing a small space of freedom for humanity

Sanctuary Technologies is a term coined by Vitalik, and translating it to "sanctuary technology" is very apt.

It does not aim to turn the entire world into a safe house, nor does it seek to dominate everyone with a larger system. What it truly wants to do is: provide you a safe little space where you can freely think, coordinate, and create, without being completely controlled by external forces.

It has several core characteristics: not totalizing, not attempting to dominate the world; preserving privacy and agency; allowing everyone to enter and exit freely, without coercion.

Ethereum is a typical example of sanctuary tech. It does not attempt to fix the existing financial system but gives you a parallel option. Use it if you want, don’t use it if you don’t want to.

This point will be increasingly important in the AI era. As large companies and super AI become stronger, what humanity really needs is not another system that "arranges everything for you," but a space that allows you to retain your right to choose.

From autopilot to active pilot: Vitalik's personal growth

Vitalik recalls that when he founded Ethereum at 19, he was largely in an autopilot state.

Many decisions were made by following the flow: dropping out of school, writing the white paper, being denied a visa by Ripple, which turned into a turning point in life. At that time, he felt more like being pushed forward by the world.

But now he increasingly realizes: the world is changing too quickly, no one will come to save you, you must be your own pilot.

He cited several everyday examples. Ten years ago, people could go days without contacting friends with no issues; now, not responding to messages for a day can lead to anxiety. Ten years ago, walking could really lead to "getting lost"; now, with mobile navigation, cities have become a series of "teleport points".

These changes remind us: the world "dies and is reborn" every 5 to 10 years. If you continue to live by the old script, you will quickly fall behind.

Therefore, what truly matters in the AI era is not passively waiting for technology to take you wherever, but actively deciding how you want to use technology.

As AI becomes stronger, people need to maintain "manual mode"

Vitalik particularly emphasizes: active learning is 10 times more effective than passive learning, even if you spend the same amount of time.

Since childhood, he has forced himself to do many things manually, such as not using a calculator in chemistry class and not using navigation to walk. The purpose is not to reject technology, but to keep the brain engaged.

The stronger AI becomes, the more we need to purposely keep some "manual mode".

Sometimes deliberately not using AI to write code, sometimes deliberately not using navigation to walk, sometimes deliberately not using chatbots to think through problems for ourselves.

This is not nostalgia or a refusal of efficiency, but a way to prevent the brain from atrophying, maintaining one's agency.

AI can help us do many things, but if all thinking, judgment, and exploration are outsourced, humans will gradually become passengers in the system. Vitalik's reminder is: you can use AI, but do not let yourself become entirely dependent on AI.

Practical advice for builders

This episode offers very direct inspiration for ordinary builders from Vitalik.

First, force yourself to do things manually. Even if AI can help, occasionally do it yourself to ensure your brain does not rust.

Second, practice active learning. Don’t just let AI give you answers; derive, verify, and take action yourself.

Third, build sanctuary technologies. Whether you are creating open-source tools, decentralized protocols, or personal knowledge bases, always prioritize one thing: does it help people retain sovereignty?

Fourth, do not outsource all mental work. AI can assist you in execution, but strategy, direction, and values must be managed by yourself.

Fifth, maintain serendipity. Participate in offline activities, engage with real people, and don’t leave all discoveries to algorithm recommendations.

These points actually point to the same core: the AI era is not about using tools less, but about using tools more proactively.

Ethereum's new positioning: not fixing the old world, but creating new options

Vitalik is also very clear about the positioning of crypto.

Crypto cannot solve all the problems of the dollar, nor does it need to pretend it can solve every issue. But it can create something new that does not have those shortcomings.

Everyone can freely choose whether to use it or not.

This is the most powerful aspect of crypto: it does not force you; it gives you the choice.

In an era where AI rights are becoming increasingly centralized, this point will become more precious. Because as more systems attempt to make decisions for you, filter information, and assess risks on your behalf, a non-coercive, freely enterable, and exitable parallel option becomes incredibly important.

The value of Ethereum / crypto is not about "winning the old world," but about giving you a new world of choices.

The most counterintuitive statements from this episode

The biggest risk in the AI era is not that AI will replace humanity, but that humanity willingly turns itself into passengers.

Sanctuary is not about making the whole world secure, but about giving you a safe little space where you can still retain your freedom.

Active learning is ten times more effective than passive learning, even if the time is the same.

The world "dies and is reborn" every 5 to 10 years; we must be our own pilot.

Inspiration for ordinary people

The stronger AI becomes, the more proactive people need to be.

Do not outsource all thinking to models. Do more manual tasks to keep your brain engaged. Participate in building tools that preserve human sovereignty, whether they are open-source, decentralized, or personal knowledge management systems.

Remember: technology ultimately serves humanity, not replaces it.

Vitalik finally said, we humans are the brightest stars. AI can be powerful, but what truly drives the world forward is still active, agency-driven individuals.

One-sentence summary

Vitalik's ten years of personal experience tell us: the AI era is not one of lying flat but one that requires humans to actively take the helm.

Do not outsource your brain to models. Do more manual tasks, build sanctuary technologies, and retain your privacy and agency.

After listening to this episode, my biggest feeling is: we used to fear AI taking our jobs, but now we see AI is actually upgrading people from "doers" to "designers".

What is truly scarce is never computational power but people who are willing to think actively and retain sovereignty.

免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。