Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, believes that artificial intelligence (AI) could play a vital role in addressing one of Ethereum’s most significant technical risks: bugs deeply embedded within its code.
Buterin expressed his enthusiasm for AI-powered auditing in a recent post, highlighting its potential to identify and rectify buggy code in the Ethereum network. He emphasized the importance of addressing this risk, considering it the most significant technical challenge facing the network.
Dencun Upgrade: Buterin’s comments coincide with Ethereum’s impending Dencun upgrade, scheduled for launch on March 13. While the upgrade holds promise for the blockchain’s development, recent bugs in the Prsym component during testing on the Goerli testnet underscore the need for robust code auditing mechanisms.
Despite Buterin’s optimism, not everyone shares the same sentiment regarding AI’s reliability in detecting Ethereum code bugs. Experiments conducted by OpenZeppelin utilizing OpenAI’s GPT-4 revealed mixed results, with successes in identifying vulnerabilities alongside instances of inventing non-existent flaws.
Kang Li, Chief Security Officer at CertiK, cautioned against overreliance on AI-powered tools like ChatGPT in coding, citing potential security risks. Li suggests using AI as assistants to experienced developers for code comprehension rather than as standalone auditing solutions.
While Buterin acknowledges AI’s potential, he has previously warned against its hasty integration with blockchain technology, particularly in high-risk applications like oracles. He emphasized the need for caution, highlighting the substantial financial risks associated with vulnerabilities in AI-powered oracles.
While Buterin remains optimistic about AI’s role in Ethereum’s development, he urges developers to tread carefully and exercise prudence when integrating AI with blockchain systems, recognizing both its potential benefits and inherent risks.
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