This might sound like hyperbole, but…

In less than one generation, AI could bring more change than in the last 5,000 years.

As you know, the AI industry is growing fast.

And, at this pace, within a few years…

AI will have the ability to create custom shows, movies, and music. It could generate a new season of a TV show you love or create a new album in the style of a favorite artist.

In fact, researchers have already created an AI generator that allows anyone to produce their own custom South Park Episode… even potentially putting themselves in the episode.

(Also, along this vein, a recent episode of South Park was co-written by ChatGPT.)

That, of course, is a double-edged sword.

AI's potential for deception will become a big problem. This includes creating fake voices or video footage that can mislead people. There are valid concerns about AI-generated misinformation and scams that could be difficult to distinguish from reality.

Most people don’t see it yet, but this presents a big opportunity for crypto.

As mentioned yesterday, AI makes it easy to fake things, and crypto makes those things hard again. Or, as futurist Balaji Srinavasan put it: “AI generates. Crypto authenticates.”

Data provenance and authentication is one massive use-case of crypto, especially when it comes to AI. But it’s far from the only one.

Today, we’ll see yet a lesser-discussed way crypto could benefit from the rise of AI… and how to gain exposure without speculating in individual crypto companies.

First, let’s zoom out and look at the larger trend at play. It all has to do with a simple, but powerful, concept: the S-Curve.

[Before we go there, quick note: The Altucher Alliance Happy Hour is going down TOMORROW at 4PM. If you’re a member of the Altucher Alliance, we’ll see you there.]

The S-Curve

One year ago, had you used AI to generate an image, it probably looked something like this:

(Prompt: Abraham Lincoln Riding a Shark)

But it has gotten WAY better since.

Today, you put in a prompt like: “James Altucher holding an Ethereum token”, and you get this:

Not perfect. But a crazy improvement in just one year.

You’ve probably heard of the S-curve of technological innovation.

In the last couple of decades, it’s completely dominated the tech industry.

Consider…

The PC went from zero to about 1.5 billion units online in the past couple of decades.

But then, that S-curve was taken over by another: the growth of smartphones. These were adopted even faster.

The smartphone went from zero to about 5.5 billion units online in the past decade.

The S-curve reveals the ongoing trend: automation.

As payoff, output, result, and performance go up… the time, resources, effort, and cost goes down.

Automation has a multiplier effect.

The steam engine didn’t replace one horse, it gave us a thousand horses. The printing press didn't just replace one scribe; it gave us a million of them. Sending an email didn’t replace one postman; it gives us a billion of them. Digital cameras didn't just replace one film roll; they gave us bajillions of rolls.

Right now, we are at the beginning of new S-curves enabled by breakthroughs in computation, AI, crypto, Biotech, Quantum Computing, and more.

AI won’t just replace one thinker; it will give us limitless minds.

And that’s where crypto comes in…

The Rise of AI Agents

Crypto automates money, yes. But it also automates something even more important: trust.

In simplest terms…

It’s a trusted database without a central authority.

As mentioned, data authentication is a massive use-case for crypto in the age of AI.

Beyond that, however, there’s an even bigger asymmetrical bet brewing:

One of the biggest shifts we may see in the next five years is the rise of AI agents -- or personal assistants that make Siri and Alexa look like kid’s toys.

As these AI agents become more common, the need for a decentralized, efficient, and secure transaction system will rise.

That’s crypto. And as AI agents transact more on blockchain platforms, it’ll drive demand, utility, and the value of crypto.

Of course, this is not a 100% foregone conclusion. BUT it’s one of the biggest asymmetrical bets in the intersection of crypto and AI.

That said, if you’re keen on a safer way to speculate on the convergence of these technologies…

There’s a unique “pick and shovels” play that James has been excited about for months.

More tomorrow from James.

Stay tuned!