⚔️Is AI Fueling Warfare?

or: Why the Age of Decentralization May Have Begun

(Klicke hier für die deutsche Version.)

We live in a world where more and more power is concentrated in the hands of a few actors — be it through governments or the unstoppable giants of the tech industry. Our hope for freedom is being so severely restricted that it might eventually erupt in a storm of release — much like the slaves who once freed themselves through bloody conflicts or the peasants who rose up in revolution against their feudal lords.

Today, too, there is a movement capable of dismantling the existing power structures once and for all. Decentralized technologies such as Bitcoin and Nostr may bring an end to these entrenched systems of control. The question is not whether these peaceful changes will come, but how quickly they will overwhelm us.*

*A study by the World Economic Forum indicates that the adoption of decentralized technologies, particularly in the fields of financial systems and energy supply, has the potential to significantly shift existing power dynamics [1].

These technologies are not harmless novelties — they are the ultimate tools for liberating humanity from centralized control. In this article, we will explore how decentralization affects various aspects of life and what implications this might have for the future.

Decentralization Began with the Internet

The internet sparked a revolution in access to knowledge that has undermined traditional institutions such as media and educational organizations. What was unimaginable decades ago is now reality: anyone can exchange information without the approval of a central authority. But that was only the beginning. The real transformation started with the development of additional decentralized technologies, paving the way for a radical restructuring of society.

• Distrust of centralization is no longer a fringe phenomenon [2]. According to a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center, 60% of respondents expressed concerns about the growing centralization of power in large tech companies and governments. This figure has risen significantly over the past five years [3]. People are increasingly realizing that they no longer have to be at the mercy of centralized powers — whether in terms of control over their data or influence on their financial systems.
• The open-source movement, which is based on the idea that software should be freely available and modifiable, is a key component of this development. Likewise, the sharing economy and efforts to create self-sufficient communities are contributing to the growing desire for more autonomy.

The internet has thus laid the foundation for a transition to more decentralized structures — not only in communication but also in how we manage our money and even generate energy. In the next section, we will take a closer look at the technologies driving this transformation.

Bitcoin — Decentralization of Money and Energy

Bitcoin is far more than just digital money. It is a direct challenge to the foundation of the global financial system. In a world where governments and banks exert control over money and the economy, Bitcoin drastically limits their power. But how does this transformation work?

• Decentralized Money: With Bitcoin, control over money shifts from the state and banks to the people, as Bitcoin operates outside the traditional financial system. It allows users to manage their own financial transactions without relying on banks or central banks. As a result, states and corporations lose influence because their ability to control the money supply and manipulate fiat currencies is curtailed.
• Decentralized Energy Production: Traditionally, it was only economically viable to build power plants where potential consumers already existed. However, Bitcoin mining opens up new possibilities: energy infrastructure can be developed in locations where it was previously uneconomical, as surplus energy can now be monetized [4]. The small country of Bhutan demonstrates this with its 100% renewable energy supply [5]. Bitcoin mining thus promotes locally produced energy and reduces dependence on centralized power providers.

The central importance of money and energy for prosperity is undeniable: Bitcoin decentralizes the power of those who control currency and energy, returning control to the people.

Nostr — Control Over Communication and Data

Nostr is a decentralized protocol for social networks [6]. It enables users to manage their communication without relying on centralized platforms — meaning no one can be excluded from Nostr. Unlike platforms such as Facebook or X, where operators control access to data and its usage, Nostr gives users full control over their content and data. In a world where data increasingly becomes a commodity, this autonomy marks a crucial step toward true freedom.

Here are some examples of how this control manifests:

• Ownership of Your Data: With Nostr, every word, image, and message belongs to you at all times. No Zuckerberg, no algorithms, no censorship. You decide what is public and what is not.
• Selective Sharing: Users can choose to share content only with selected individuals, rather than making it public or available to a platform.
• Censorship Resistance: In a system like Nostr, no central authority (such as the operators of major social media platforms) can decide which content is permissible or subject to censorship.

This decentralization of communication not only promotes freedom of expression but also returns control of digital identities to users. Unlike today’s social networks, which are often dominated by data monopolies, Nostr offers a genuine alternative.

Decentralized Energy Generation — The Foundation of Prosperity

Energy is the backbone of nearly all economic and industrial processes, making power generation one of the most critical infrastructures of modern society. Without a stable and efficient energy supply, many achievements of contemporary civilization would not be possible. By decentralizing energy production, dependence on large energy providers can be reduced, and energy security can be improved.

• In the mid-1990s, the first groups of people began organizing into energy communities to produce and use electricity independently from traditional power suppliers [7]. In 2018, the EU established the legal framework for energy communities with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) [8, 9].
• The growing adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power has created more opportunities for decentralized energy generation. This reduces reliance on centralized power grids and large energy providers, which are often vulnerable during crises or natural disasters.
• Bitcoin miners also produce heat, allowing people to become independent of oil, gas, and district heating systems.
• The combination of Bitcoin mining and renewable energy demonstrates how locally produced energy can be effectively utilized and promoted. Wherever surplus energy exists, mining facilities can be installed to make use of otherwise wasted capacity.

Although the decentralization of energy production began long before Bitcoin, Bitcoin brings fresh momentum and new incentives to advance decentralized and sustainable solutions.

Decentralized Water Supply — Self-Sufficient Communities

For self-sufficient communities, decentralized energy supply is essential — but so is decentralized water supply. Technologies for extracting water from the air, rainwater harvesting, or decentralized water treatment systems enable small communities to become independent of centralized water infrastructures.

In regions with poor water infrastructure or in crisis areas, decentralized water systems provide a viable solution to ensure water security and establish long-term self-sufficiency. These systems serve as a critical foundation for community resilience, particularly during times of uncertainty.

Artificial Intelligence — The Decentralization of Creativity

Decentralization primarily means one thing: empowering individuals to create, design, and exert influence — free from the constraints of central institutions and monopolies. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) comes in: it has the potential to revolutionize the way we engage in creative work, making design and innovation accessible to everyone. What was once reserved for a small, privileged elite with access to expensive tools and specialized skills can soon be available to all.

However, for this to happen, we must make AI not only technologically but also structurally open and accessible. An AI that is developed transparently and collaboratively has the power to break existing power monopolies. It gives each individual the ability to access tools that have traditionally been available only to large corporations or governments. Without this openness, however, AI could become the greatest threat to our freedom — it could turn out to be the strongest tool of centralized control.

Open, transparent AIs will enable us in the future to create our own designs — whether for a piece of furniture, a software tool, or even an innovative product. A command like “Design a kettle that can also mine Bitcoin” is as conceivable as “Create a painting of a stormy ocean.” AI will make creativity accessible and actionable for everyone — regardless of resources or specialized knowledge. This technology gives everyone the opportunity to realize their visions in entirely new ways — whether in the artistic field or in the development of marketable products.

Through the democratization of the creative process, innovation will no longer be controlled by large corporations or elites, but can emerge from a diverse range of needs. From hobbyists to entrepreneurs, anyone could create new products and solutions through AI, contributing to the global innovation landscape. Open AI thus becomes a fundamental driver of creative expression and economic participation — it transforms not only artistic creation but also the way we develop everyday products.

Just as the internet once enabled the free exchange of information, an open, transparently developed AI will promote the free exchange of ideas and creative works — allowing every individual to create value, regardless of their starting point or resources.

Conclusion: Centralization or Decentralization?

The age of decentralization has already begun. This is evident in the growing number of decentralizing technologies and the diminishing efficiency advantages that centralized systems suffer from beyond a certain scale [10, 11]. The trend toward decentralization is unstoppable — the only question is how quickly it will prevail.

The clear disadvantages of centralized large structures are:

• Bureaucracy and coordination costs: Large, centralized systems often suffer from inefficient decision-making processes and excessive bureaucracy.
• Lack of competition: Centralized monopolies or oligopolies face less pressure to innovate and tend to use resources less efficiently.

Decentralized systems offer the advantage of creating robust, adaptable networks that can respond not only to local conditions but also to global challenges. This is urgently needed, as complex problems — such as human-caused climate change — are rapidly approaching and can only be addressed with solutions that are at least as complex [12].

• Fault tolerance and resilience: Decentralized systems are less vulnerable to crises because they do not have a central weakness that could destroy the entire system.
• Adaptability: They are dynamic, able to respond flexibly to different needs, and offer solutions that are no longer possible with the centralized systems of the past.
• Technological support: With the use of technologies such as Bitcoin and Artificial Intelligence, these systems can become increasingly efficient and scalable.

This does not mean that centralized systems will completely disappear. On a small scale, they are often more efficient, but on a large scale — when they become overbearing — they fail. People are increasingly feeling this. They are using Bitcoin, Nostr, and similar technologies, thereby weakening the oversized actors of central control.

The trend is clear: If this development continues, we are indeed on the threshold of a new era — the decentralization of humanity. An era of freedom, where the individual holds the power.

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References

[1] https://www.weforum.org/publications/fostering-effective-energy-transition-2023/in-full/1-introduction-5002ea1cfb/ Accessed: 15.11.2024

[2] https://www.who.int/europe/de/news/item/12-07-2023-widening-inequities--declining-trust---they-are-inextricably-linked--with-significant-impacts-on-health--finds-new-who-europe-report Accessed: 06.11.2024

[3] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/04/29/americans-views-of-technology-companies-2/ Accessed: 15.11.2024

[4] https://cryptovalleyjournal.com/focus/background/bitcoin-miners-use-surplus-energy-in-iceland/ Accessed: 06.11.2024

[5] https://youtu.be/I9uoLGm34uU?feature=shared Accessed: 06.11.2024

[6] https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nostr Accessed: 06.11.2024

[7] https://www.buendnis-buergerenergie.de/fileadmin/user_upload/wpbl27_BEG-Stand_Entwicklungen.pdf Accessed: 06.11.2024

[8] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018L2001 Accessed: 06.11.2024

[9] https://energiegemeinschaften.gv.at/ Accessed: 06.11.2024

[10] https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/033015/whats-difference-between-diminishing-marginal-returns-and-returns-scale.asp Accessed: 06.11.2024

[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ixeKKiRWqQ Accessed: 03.11.2024

[12] Bertalanffy, Ludwig von (1976). General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. ISBN-10: 0807604534

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The Silent Revolution Against Centralized Power Structures was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.