Vitalik Buterin: Open to "anti-data center populism," which may help delay the progress of AGI

Crypto World News reports that Vitalik Buterin posted on X platform expressing a relatively open attitude toward so-called “anti-data-center populism.” He believes that under current technological pathways, restricting industrial-grade hardware computing power supply may be one of the most practical and least dystopian ways to delay the timeline for general artificial intelligence (AGI). From discussions with related researchers, reducing the availability of large-scale computing infrastructure could help extend the development cycle of AGI. If the social forces driving this process initially stem from opposition to data center expansion, “that may not be unacceptable.” However, he also emphasizes that taking action only against data centers located in densely populated areas is insufficient to substantially change the AGI timeline. He estimates that, under a “static world model,” a 10 to 100-fold reduction in computing power is feasible; compared to the ongoing advancements in future chip design, the reduction could even reach 100 to 10,000 times, and such scale “would truly make an impact.” Although the path is complex, any major adjustment requires a “first step.”