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Ben Goertzel Pursues Decentralized AGI on Blockchain, Opposes Closed-Lab Model
Ben Goertzel, the computer scientist who popularised the term artificial general intelligence (AGI), is charting a new course for the field—one that keeps the core of AGI free and distributes its power across a global network rather than a handful of corporate labs. In a recent episode of the On The Margin podcast, Goertzel explained that he refuses to hand control of AGI to venture‑capital investors, insisting that the most critical software should never be owned by a single company.
This philosophy underpins SingularityNET, the blockchain‑based AI marketplace he founded in 2018. The network uses its utility token, AGIX, to pay for AI services that run on nodes operated by users worldwide. As Forbes reported in the piece “AGI Is Too Important—Ben Goertzel’s Crypto Bet Against OpenAI,” Goertzel plans to keep the AGI code open while monetising polished products built atop it. He foresees a paid tier launching next year that will deliver business‑grade AI services featuring “more reasoning and more creativity than you get from chatbots now.” Although the backbone will remain a decentralized blockchain, end users will interact through a conventional web interface.
Goertzel’s core argument is that open‑source code alone does not guarantee accessibility. He warns, “If the code is open but the data takes a server farm to store and you need a hyperscaler server farm to use it, the fact that the code is open doesn’t help that much.” Instead, he envisions the first AGI running on a network that spans fifty countries and is governed by ten thousand different participants.
The scientist has been outspoken about the closed‑lab model that has become common at companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. He cited the public dispute between Elon Musk and Sam Altman as evidence that OpenAI’s founding mission quickly shifted toward proprietary development. “Sam Altman didn’t think that for very long,” Goertzel said. “He very rapidly shifted and wanted to make it proprietary.” He also pointed to Anthropic’s origins, noting that “Dario Amodei, his stuff was closed and proprietary from the very beginning.” Musk’s own trajectory—from warning about AI dangers to founding xAI—was described by Goertzel as a “tortured relationship with openness.”
In 2024, SingularityNET joined forces with Fetch.ai and Ocean Protocol to form the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, merging their tokens into a single FET token. Ocean Protocol exited the alliance in late 2025, but the collaboration highlighted a broader trend of crypto projects seeking to build a decentralized AI ecosystem. Goertzel believes the next wave of advantage will belong to small groups that can orchestrate large fleets of AI agents to accomplish tasks.
The agent economy is already taking shape. Varun Kabra of Concordium told the same podcast that AI agents are beginning to transact on behalf of users, paying for services and handling financial transactions. Nitya Subramanian of Para warned that outsourcing purchases to agents carries risk, but Goertzel argues that a decentralized network can mitigate those dangers.
Goertzel remains optimistic about the timeline for AGI. He projects human‑level AGI by 2029, adding that a breakthrough in 2027 or 2030 would not surprise him. His primary concern is the widening gap between those who understand AGI and those who do not, a divide that could deepen inequality.
The first tangible test of Goertzel’s approach is the upcoming release of a downloadable agent called Omega Claw, which he says will be available in a few weeks. The agent will allow users to train personal assistants that can manage daily tasks and generate income.
In sum, Ben Goertzel is pursuing a decentralized, open‑source path to AGI that sharply contrasts with the closed‑lab strategy of the industry’s largest players. His plan hinges on a blockchain‑based infrastructure, a utility token, and a future paid tier of AI services. The next few months will see the launch of Omega Claw and continued development of the agent economy, while the broader debate over open versus closed AGI research remains in motion.
This philosophy underpins SingularityNET, the blockchain‑based AI marketplace he founded in 2018. The network uses its utility token, AGIX, to pay for AI services that run on nodes operated by users worldwide. As Forbes reported in the piece “AGI Is Too Important—Ben Goertzel’s Crypto Bet Against OpenAI,” Goertzel plans to keep the AGI code open while monetising polished products built atop it. He foresees a paid tier launching next year that will deliver business‑grade AI services featuring “more reasoning and more creativity than you get from chatbots now.” Although the backbone will remain a decentralized blockchain, end users will interact through a conventional web interface.
Goertzel’s core argument is that open‑source code alone does not guarantee accessibility. He warns, “If the code is open but the data takes a server farm to store and you need a hyperscaler server farm to use it, the fact that the code is open doesn’t help that much.” Instead, he envisions the first AGI running on a network that spans fifty countries and is governed by ten thousand different participants.
The scientist has been outspoken about the closed‑lab model that has become common at companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. He cited the public dispute between Elon Musk and Sam Altman as evidence that OpenAI’s founding mission quickly shifted toward proprietary development. “Sam Altman didn’t think that for very long,” Goertzel said. “He very rapidly shifted and wanted to make it proprietary.” He also pointed to Anthropic’s origins, noting that “Dario Amodei, his stuff was closed and proprietary from the very beginning.” Musk’s own trajectory—from warning about AI dangers to founding xAI—was described by Goertzel as a “tortured relationship with openness.”
In 2024, SingularityNET joined forces with Fetch.ai and Ocean Protocol to form the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, merging their tokens into a single FET token. Ocean Protocol exited the alliance in late 2025, but the collaboration highlighted a broader trend of crypto projects seeking to build a decentralized AI ecosystem. Goertzel believes the next wave of advantage will belong to small groups that can orchestrate large fleets of AI agents to accomplish tasks.
The agent economy is already taking shape. Varun Kabra of Concordium told the same podcast that AI agents are beginning to transact on behalf of users, paying for services and handling financial transactions. Nitya Subramanian of Para warned that outsourcing purchases to agents carries risk, but Goertzel argues that a decentralized network can mitigate those dangers.
Goertzel remains optimistic about the timeline for AGI. He projects human‑level AGI by 2029, adding that a breakthrough in 2027 or 2030 would not surprise him. His primary concern is the widening gap between those who understand AGI and those who do not, a divide that could deepen inequality.
The first tangible test of Goertzel’s approach is the upcoming release of a downloadable agent called Omega Claw, which he says will be available in a few weeks. The agent will allow users to train personal assistants that can manage daily tasks and generate income.
In sum, Ben Goertzel is pursuing a decentralized, open‑source path to AGI that sharply contrasts with the closed‑lab strategy of the industry’s largest players. His plan hinges on a blockchain‑based infrastructure, a utility token, and a future paid tier of AI services. The next few months will see the launch of Omega Claw and continued development of the agent economy, while the broader debate over open versus closed AGI research remains in motion.
