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Ethereum cofounder, Vitalik Buterin, has recently highlighted what he believes to be Ethereum’s most significant technical risk: bugs in the code. Buterin expressed his enthusiasm for the potential of AI to change the way we address this pervasive issue through AI-assisted formal verification and bug finding.
As the Ethereum network continues to grow and evolve, the complexity of smart contracts and the EVM also increases. With this complexity comes a heightened risk of bugs and logical errors, which have historically been the culprits behind various high-profile hacks and exploits in the crypto space. These incidents not only lead to financial losses but also erode trust in decentralized platforms.
Buterin points out that the core of the problem lies in the disparity between the code and the human intent it is supposed to represent. Human language remains the most nuanced form of expressing intent, and as such, narrowing down the incidence of bugs requires an intersectional approach that involves both code and human language.
The solution Buterin proposes is twofold. First, the use of AI to assist in formal verification can help ensure that the code written by developers accurately reflects the intended logic and functionality. Formal verification is a process whereby mathematical proofs are used to verify the correctness of algorithms underlying a system. AI can automate and enhance this process, ensuring a more rigorous check against potential errors.
Second, a better understanding and translation of human intent into code are necessary. This may involve developing new frameworks and languages that are more intuitive and aligned with human thought processes, reducing the gap that often leads to bugs.
If successfully implemented, AI-assisted code verification could vastly reduce the occurrence of smart contract vulnerabilities. This would bolster the security and reliability of the Ethereum smart contracts and solidify its position as the leading platform for decentralized applications.