Ben Goertzel advocates for decentralized AGI development, pushes back on government ownership of AI
Ben Goertzel, the founder and CEO of SingularityNET, isn’t buying the idea that governments should own AI companies. On June 2, Goertzel published a pointed critique responding to US Senator Bernie Sanders’ op-ed advocating for government ownership of major AI firms, arguing instead that the path to Artificial General Intelligence should be collaborative, open-source, and decentralized.
The core of Goertzel’s argument is straightforward: handing control of AI to any single entity, whether a corporation or a government, risks concentrating power in ways that stifle progress.
The case against nationalization
Goertzel has been beating this drum since at least the early 2010s, long before decentralized AI became a trendy talking point. His position is that beneficial AGI outcomes are far more achievable when no single organization holds the keys to the technology.
SingularityNET and the ASI Alliance
Goertzel isn’t just philosophizing. He’s been building infrastructure to back up the thesis. SingularityNET, which he founded in 2017, operates as a decentralized marketplace for AI algorithms and services. The idea is that any developer can contribute AI tools and any user can access them, without a central authority deciding who gets to participate.
In 2024, the project took a significant step by forming the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance. This brought together SingularityNET with Fetch.ai, Ocean Protocol, and CUDOS through a community token merger. The alliance is designed around open-source principles and governance structures specifically built to prevent any single entity from dominating the ecosystem.
As of June 2026, SingularityNET has completed the integration of the FET (ASI) token across its platform. The token now facilitates both transactions and governance for new AI services launched on the network.
What this means for investors
Despite the significance of Goertzel’s statements, immediate market reactions were minimal. No major price swings followed the post, which suggests that the crypto market views this more as an ongoing ideological conversation than a catalyst event.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Eli Lilly (LLY.US) "lowers its stance" and joins forces with former rival Hims (HIMS.US) to compete for the self-pay weight loss drug market
Eli Lilly is collaborating with Hims & Hers Health, leveraging the telehealth company’s large customer base to expand access to its blockbuster weight loss drugs and boost sales of medications, including its new oral weight loss drug Foundayo.
"Predicting Your Prediction" Intensifies Tech Stock Sell-off! After $2.3 Trillion Market Value Evaporates, Has the "Hot Money" Mechanical Selling Still Not Subsided?
The Nasdaq 100 Index fell by 6.4%, wiping out $2.3 trillion in market capitalization. The core reason behind this decline is concerns that a comprehensive victory by the Democratic Party could lead to stricter regulations on AI development. Systematic funds, which typically follow the stock market's trend and respond to price fluctuations and momentum signals, were thus forced to reduce their investments, accelerating the downturn. The selling pressure from systematic strategies may not be over yet; it is expected that in the coming days, portfolios targeting volatility will sell at least $50 billion worth of stocks.
The midterm election tears open the "abyss" of AI trading, facing a moment of reckoning for trillion-dollar capital expenditure narratives
For months, investors have been worried about a series of risks behind the AI (artificial intelligence) capital expenditure "money tree." This week, the market finally pressed the panic selling button.
AI sell-off meets the NFP test: safe-haven funds flock to the bond market! Will unexpectedly strong employment disrupt the bullish U.S. Treasury setup?
As expectations for further rate hikes by the Federal Reserve continue to diminish, bond traders are preparing for the upcoming October jobs report this Friday, with the U.S. Treasury market expected to rise further. The global stock sell-off has prompted investors to seek the safety of U.S. Treasuries, pushing yields down to their lowest levels since early September, with the 10-year Treasury yield reported at 4.82% on Friday.
Crypto prices
More
