Vitalik: What we need to do is not to fight against AI, but to create a sanctuary
Author: Saito
I just finished listening to Vitalik's podcast episode at a16z, and the amount of information is overwhelming.
He founded Ethereum at 19, and now in his early 30s, he has transformed from being on "autopilot" to being a "proactive pilot."
The core topic of this episode is the most anxious question we face 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 depriving us of our privacy and agency.
Today, I will break down the most counterintuitive viewpoints, practical advice, and the new positioning of Ethereum from this episode.
The biggest risk in the AI era is not that AI is too smart, but that humanity is too passive
Vitalik bluntly states that the world today is less safe and less peaceful than it was 10 to 15 years ago.
Many people are pursuing a kind of "safety": handing everything over to "the uncle in the sky," meaning large companies, super AI, and centralized systems, letting them make decisions, manage risks, and provide protection for us.
But the cost of this safety is that we lose our privacy and agency.
Vitalik calls this kind of safety disempowering safety, which makes people increasingly powerless.
This is also where he reinterprets the mission of crypto/Ethereum. The significance of Ethereum is not to "fix the dollar," nor to repair the existing financial system, but to create a new option. You can freely choose whether to use it or not.
This is the true sanctuary: safe, yet allowing you to retain your sovereignty.
Sanctuary Technologies: A small space for humanity to retain freedom
Sanctuary Technologies is a term coined by Vitalik, and translating it as "sanctuary technologies" is very fitting.
It does not aim to turn the whole world into a safe house, nor does it seek to dominate everyone with a larger system. What it truly wants to do is to give you a safe small space where you can think, coordinate, and create freely without being completely controlled by external forces.
It has several core characteristics: it is not totalizing, it does not attempt to dominate the whole world; it preserves privacy and agency; everyone can freely enter and exit, without coercion.
Ethereum is a typical example of sanctuary tech. It does not attempt to fix the existing financial system but provides you with a parallel option. You can use it if you want, or not use it if you don't.
This will become increasingly important in the AI era. Because as large companies and super AI become stronger, what humanity truly needs is not another system that "arranges everything for you," but a space that allows you to retain your choice.
From autopilot to proactive pilot: Vitalik's personal growth
Vitalik reflects on founding Ethereum at 19, noting that he was largely in an autopilot state.
Many decisions were made by going with the flow: dropping out of school, writing the white paper, being denied a visa by Ripple, which turned into pivotal moments in his life. At that time, he felt more like he was being pushed by the world.
But now he increasingly realizes: the world is changing too fast, no one will come to save you, you must be your own pilot.
He gives several relatable examples. Ten years ago, it was fine not to contact friends for days; now, not replying to messages for a day causes anxiety. Ten years ago, you could really "get lost" while walking; now with mobile navigation, cities have become a series of "teleportation points."
These changes remind us: the world "dies and is reborn" every 5 to 10 years. If you continue to live by old scripts, you will quickly fall behind.
So what is truly important in the AI era is not to passively wait for technology to take you somewhere, but to actively decide how you want to use technology.
The stronger AI becomes, the more humans need to maintain "manual mode"
Vitalik emphasizes: active learning is ten times more effective than passive learning, even if the time spent is the same.
Since childhood, he has forced himself to do many things manually, such as not using a calculator in chemistry class and not using navigation while walking. The purpose is not to reject technology, but to keep the brain engaged.
The stronger AI becomes, the more we need to deliberately retain 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.
This is not nostalgia or a rejection of efficiency, but a way to prevent brain atrophy and maintain one's agency.
AI can help us do many things, but if all thinking, judgment, and exploration are outsourced, humans will slowly become passengers in the system. Vitalik's reminder is: you can use AI, but do not let yourself become completely dependent on it.
Practical advice for builders
Vitalik's insights for ordinary builders are very direct.
First, force yourself to do things manually. Even if AI can help you, occasionally do it yourself to ensure your brain doesn't rust.
Second, 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 their sovereignty?
Fourth, don't outsource all cognitive work. AI can assist with execution, but strategy, direction, and values must be controlled by you.
Fifth, maintain serendipity. Participate in offline activities, engage in conversations with real people, and don't leave all discoveries to algorithmic recommendations.
These points all point to the same core: the AI era is not about using tools less, but about using tools more proactively.
The new positioning of Ethereum: not to fix the old world, but to create new options
Vitalik's positioning of crypto is also very clear.
Crypto cannot solve all the problems of the dollar, nor does it need to pretend to solve all problems. But it can create something new without 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 and more precious. Because when more and more systems try to make decisions for you, filter information for you, and judge risks for you, a non-coercive, freely accessible parallel option becomes extremely important.
The value of Ethereum/crypto is not about "winning the old world," but about giving you a new world where you can freely choose.
The most counterintuitive statements from this episode
The biggest risk in the AI era is not that AI will replace humans, but that humans willingly turn themselves into passengers.
Sanctuary is not about making the whole world safe, but about giving you a safe small space where you can still retain 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 pilots.
Insights for ordinary people
The stronger AI becomes, the more proactive humans need to be.
Do not outsource all thinking to models. Do more manual tasks to keep your brain engaged. Participate in building tools that can retain human sovereignty, whether they are open-source, decentralized, or personal knowledge management systems.
Remember: technology ultimately serves humanity, not replaces it.
Vitalik concludes by saying that we humans are the brightest stars. AI can be powerful, but what truly drives the world forward are still proactive individuals with agency.
One-sentence summary
Vitalik's ten years of personal experience tell us: the AI era is not a time to lie flat, but a time that requires humans to take the helm more actively.
Do not outsource your brain to models. Do more manual tasks, build sanctuary technologies, and retain your privacy and agency.
My biggest takeaway from this episode is: we used to fear AI taking our jobs, but now we see that AI is actually upgrading humans from "executors" to "designers."
What is truly scarce is not computing power, but individuals willing to think proactively and retain their sovereignty.
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