Vitalik warns about "augmented" AI and defends open source, says report.

• Vitalik Buterin advocates for open-source AI and "augmented AI".
• Debate on AI governance grows, without effect on Ethereum.
• The Ethereum network maintains its focus on privacy and scalability.

A report published on December 29th by PANews attributes a direct message to AI labs to Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum: prioritize "enhancing humanity" as the central goal of research and development. The publication links this theme to the advancement of more independent systems, at a time when the sector is debating the limits of autonomy and responsibility in creating increasingly capable models.

According to the text, Buterin suggested that new AI projects should pursue an "augmented AI" approach, with systems that support human decisions rather than operating with long periods of fully autonomous decision-making. The idea, as described, focuses on tools that augment the capabilities of people and institutions, reducing incentives for solutions that operate with little supervision.

The same report also states that the founder of Ethereum highlighted the importance of open-source AI as a path to transparency, auditability, and wider distribution of innovation. Within this argument, open-source code would serve as a practical mechanism to increase trust, allow independent reviews, and reduce power imbalances between large laboratories and the rest of the ecosystem.

Despite the topic being linked to broader discussions about AI governance, the cryptocurrency market did not show a significant reaction to the content. Without an immediate response from influential figures in the sector, the conversation remained concentrated within technical communities and profiles that follow the intersection between AI and decentralized networks.

Meanwhile, Ethereum continues to prioritize infrastructure improvements. The network's current narrative continues to point towards advancements in privacy and scalability, with developers and ecosystem participants focused on technology performance and ongoing updates, rather than on side debates that haven't yet directly connected to the project's public roadmap.