AI and Blockchain: New Era of Productivity and Production Relations

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is triggering a new wave of technological revolution. As one of the earliest users of ChatGPT, I have personally experienced the tremendous impact AI has brought to various industries. Although AI's capabilities in certain professional fields still need improvement, its role in enhancing work efficiency is already evident. Predictions suggest that in the next 20 years, true general artificial intelligence is likely to become a reality.

Faced with such powerful productivity tools, we need to consider what kind of production relations can match them. Blockchain technology may provide an answer. The decentralized nature of Blockchain, along with features like smart contracts, gives it the potential to become the infrastructure that constrains and regulates AI development. Using code to constrain code seems to be a reasonable approach.

Interestingly, AI and Blockchain, two revolutionary technologies, almost emerged simultaneously. In 2007, deep learning theory laid the foundation for modern AI; while in 2008, the birth of Bitcoin marked the emergence of Blockchain technology. This temporal coincidence seems to foreshadow a close relationship between the two in the future.

Looking back at history, we can see that every major change in productivity requires corresponding changes in production relations to adapt. The reason why the First Industrial Revolution was able to flourish was precisely due to the gradual improvement of the commercial system over the previous two hundred years. Innovations such as modern accounting systems and corporate systems laid the institutional foundation for the Industrial Revolution.

In contrast, during the same period, China missed historical opportunities due to its isolationist policies, ultimately leading to its modern backwardness. This comparison profoundly illustrates the importance of production relations to the development of productive forces.

Currently, the world is in a diversified era full of uncertainty. In the face of the opportunities and challenges brought by AI, we must actively embrace new technologies while cautiously considering how to build an institutional environment that adapts to them. Blockchain, as a new type of organizational method and governance mechanism, may provide us with some insights.

In this new era where technology and humanities intertwine, we need to think about how to optimize production relations while developing productivity, in order to achieve a positive interaction between technological progress and social advancement. This will be an exploratory process full of challenges yet also full of hope.