a16z crypto|Oct 09, 2026 19:26
AI is getting better at solving hard math problems, especially given recent drops. But what does that mean for the cryptography that protects everything from private messages to healthcare to banking and crypto wallets?
Stanford cryptographer Dan Boneh, with @eddylazzarin, @SuccinctJT, @liz_harkavy, and @smc90, makes sense of the warnings sounded recently. They cover:
- what’s fact vs. assumption
- what’s new and what risks cryptographers have long prepared for
- where quantum computing doesn't (and does) fit
- opportunities for builders
Highlights:
00:37 – What sparked the most recent debate about AI and cryptography
01:35 – Signal vs. noise: What the math does and doesn’t tell us
05:29 – Why cryptography depends on open problems
09:25 – Why the stakes go beyond blockchains
10:43 – How AI could strengthen confidence in cryptography
13:50 – Considerations for users and institutions
20:10 – Where AI and quantum threats overlap
22:32 – Building systems that can change cryptographic methods
23:59 – Hash-based versus lattice-based cryptography
33:07 – Opportunities for builders, and better security tools
38:14 – What comes next if there were a cryptographic break?
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