According to Cointelegraph, the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance has issued a statement advocating for the decentralization of cloud infrastructure to aid in the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The alliance argues that centralized cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, present multiple vulnerabilities, including risks of single points of failure.
In a written Q&A with Cointelegraph, Humayun Sheikh, CEO of Fetch.ai and chairman of the ASI Alliance, elaborated on the vulnerabilities of centralized cloud structures, stating they are susceptible to cyberattacks and outages. Sheikh emphasized that decentralizing the cloud would distribute data and control across independent nodes, ensuring system security and operational continuity even if one node fails, thereby reducing the potential for catastrophic failures.
Despite the advantages of decentralization in terms of resilience and security, Sheikh acknowledged several challenges. These include technical complexity, scalability, and coordination across distributed nodes. Managing data across multiple independent nodes introduces difficulties in maintaining consistent performance, data integrity, and synchronization. Additionally, Sheikh pointed out regulatory and governance issues due to the decentralized nature of these networks, which lack centralized oversight, making it harder to enforce standards and ensure compliance with legal and data protection regulations.
The ASI Alliance also highlighted the potential of decentralization to democratize access to computational resources, lower barriers for smaller businesses and developers, and reduce the dominance of centralized cloud providers. Sheikh explained that distributing data and computing power across independent nodes encourages competition and fosters innovation, allowing businesses to compete on a level playing field.
In related news, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared his vision for a city built on the principles of decentralization, democracy, and capitalism. Posting on the decentralized social media platform Farcaster, Buterin discussed whether cities should serve the public good or operate as for-profit institutions. He emphasized the importance of public infrastructure working well for all income levels and criticized the practice of addressing homelessness with one-way bus tickets to other cities.