Vitalik Buterin Rejects the Idea That AI Hacks Condemn Cybersecurity

• Buterin says cybersecurity naturally favors defense by using AI in verification.
• The entrepreneur suggests that Ethereum will formally apply AI-assisted security.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin rejected the thesis that AI-powered hacks leave cybersecurity with no way out. "The idea that AI hacking means cybersecurity is doomed is becoming more common. I disagree."

"I believe that cybersecurity naturally favors defense once people get their act together," said Buterin, who added that "anyone who continues to hold cryptocurrencies (including me, 90% of my net worth) is implicitly making that bet," the developer stated yesterday, September 16, 2026.

Buterin's central argument indicates that AI can treat software security as a mathematical theorem, even in the face of complex codes. "If AI can prove Navier-Stokes and FLT, then AI can prove the statement 'this program is secure' as a mathematical theorem. Even if the program is very complicated," he argued.

The acronym FLT refers to Fermat's Last Theorem, while Navier-Stokes corresponds to a set of differential equations in mathematical physics; both represent complex proofs.

The developer warned that the word "secure" hides "all kinds of skeletons in the closet regarding what it really means." To illustrate this complexity, he used the messaging application Signal as a test case. He explained that the most obvious definition --- preventing someone without the recipient's key from reading messages --- does not cover scenarios where an adversary can forge messages, prevent their delivery, or actively attack the system.

It also does not consider whether an attacker can forward old messages, compromise the server, tamper with the public key, hack the device, or cause data leaks through failures in the operating system, database, or compiler. Additionally, he questioned whether the size of the sent data or the metadata is hidden. "Of course, you are not hiding the identity of the sender and receiver, nor the exact time each message was sent," which allows inferring "many important facts about what relationships you have and what types of conversations you are having."

In light of this scenario, he emphasized that definitions can exceed a thousand lines of code. "Working to make definitions more readable for humans is of utmost importance: it may be the only 'high-level language' that matters right now," he indicated. Buterin argued that verifying the correct definition is more manageable than reviewing the code directly.

He also explained that definitions are additive. "If two groups have two different definitions A and B, then, well, you can prove that the program satisfies both A and B," while in traditional code, a failure in any component can collapse the system.

The Ethereum co-founder dismissed partial reviews or vulnerability detection races. "The solution today: I'm sorry, you have to literally verify your entire program, including the database, the network, any cache layer, everything. Modern AI can do that," he assured. "It is specifically an asymmetric strategy to make code that is much more resilient from the start."

Buterin linked his stance with the network he leads. "This is the kind of direction Ethereum is going to take in the coming years. There is no future for networks ---especially with scalability and privacy--- without doing this," he pointed out.

This vision of mathematical verification does not arise in isolation but responds to the developer's own trials with generative tools, as reported by CriptoNoticias. Buterin noted that vibecoding experiments --- a practice where a programmer guides the AI with natural language instructions instead of writing code line by line --- allowed building a preliminary version of the 2030 roadmap for the network in two weeks.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Any events, rewards, online promotions, or related information mentioned herein should not be considered a recommendation, solicitation, or invitation to purchase, sell, trade, or otherwise deal in any crypto assets. Crypto assets are highly volatile and may result in loss. The availability of WEEX services, products, and related events may vary by region. You are responsible for ensuring that your participation is in accordance with applicable local laws and regulations.