Marc van der Chijs, the co-founder of Bitcoin mining giant Hut 8, is sounding a loud alarm over the trajectory of artificial intelligence. In a candid reflection on the state of the industry, the entrepreneur admitted that he has become something of a doomer recently, warning that humanity has effectively lost control over the pace of AI development. According to van der Chijs, an aggressive arms race between global superpowers and private corporations has pushed innovation so far forward that it is outstripping our ability to implement necessary safeguards.
This loss of oversight creates what he describes as a precarious situation for global stability. The pioneer fears that AI could inadvertently trigger systemic shocks by exposing deep vulnerabilities in legacy banking software and critical national infrastructure. Because these systems are so tightly interconnected, a single failure caused by autonomous agents or recursive AI improvements could lead to widespread institutional collapse before governments even realize how to intervene. It is a sentiment echoed by other industry leaders who argue that the drive for dominance outweighs the desire for safety.
Despite these grim predictions, van der Chijs remains convinced that AI will fundamentally rewrite the laws of economics. He anticipates a future where robotics and intelligent software handle up to 95 percent of current jobs, drastically lowering the cost of living but stripping away traditional income streams for millions. To survive this transition, he suggests that governments will be forced to pivot their entire tax structures, perhaps implementing levies on robot labor or specific AI tokens to fund public services in a post-employment era.
Interestingly, these existential fears haven’t stopped him from betting heavily on the technology. Van der Chijs revealed that he shifted much of his personal wealth from Bitcoin into AI investments and views the pivot toward AI data centers as one of the smartest strategic moves a company like Hut 8 could make. Yet, amidst the volatility and technical risks associated with silicon and code, he maintains a surprising level of faith in digital gold. While he bets on AI for growth and utility, he insists that Bitcoin remains the only asset he would trust to hold for the rest of his life if forced to pick just one.