Vitalik Buterin Backs Slower Compute Growth and Defends the Data Center Backlash

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said on X that he disagrees with the harsh reactions aimed at people opposing data centers. In his view, slowing the huge buildout of computing power does more good than harm overall.

Why He Says a Slowdown Would Not Be Catastrophic

Algorithms Keep Improving

Buterin argued that better algorithms mean AI abilities that need giant new facilities today could run on existing data centers in about four years, perhaps sooner. So even a major win for the protest movement would probably not cause disaster.

More Time for Security and Research

He said the world needs extra time to deal with current cybersecurity threats and future risks such as biosecurity. Because science is limited by many factors besides AI, a one year slowdown in AI would delay real scientific progress by far less than a year. He added that this case does not rely on the disputed argument about AI existential risk.