Cornell Professor Explores Blockchain Weaponization in New Crypto Thriller Novel
Summary:
Ari Juels, a professor at Cornell Tech and the chief scientist at Chainlink Labs, has written a crypto thriller novel, The Oracle. The novel explores the concept of weaponizing blockchain through rogue smart contracts. Through his book, Juels aims to guide preventive action against misuses of the financial system and AI. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Juels discusses the increasing feasibility of rogue contracts, the application of AI and blockchains for enhanced safety, and the potential for turning smart contracts into real-world legal contracts. The book also amplifies the indispensable role blockchain oracles could play in societal consensus formation.
Cornell Tech's chaired professor Ari Juels, who is also a member of Cornell University's computer science faculty and the chief scientist at Chainlink Labs, has penned a new cryptocurrency thriller novel. The Oracle, as the book is titled, features a protagonist who shares Juels' expertise in blockchain oracles, the connecting link between blockchains and external systems. The novel revolves around the idea of rogue smart contracts, as it draws realistic scenarios about weaponizing blockchain. Juels emphasizes that the fiction piece is a means to prevent illicit uses of AI and financial systems.
The Oracle unravels a fast-paced narrative about oracles, lost antiquities, assurances of crypto billions, cybercriminals, and digital idealists. It raises alarming questions about the cost of crypto ideals of privacy and truth on human lives. Cointelegraph recently interviewed Juels to decipher the reasons behind the creation of this science-based fiction, and the lessons it beholds for technologists and society.
The novel, which is an adapted dramatic form of a research paper, sheds light on the criminal applications of smart contracts due to their privacy features, trust models, and unstoppable nature. Juels underlines the increasing feasibility of rogue contracts with advancements in AI tools, demanding immediate consideration.
The book involves a fictional conversation with Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum blockchain, who suggests an idea to prevent the assassination plot. Juels predicts the future safeguards would enhance AI use and blockchains' safety. On merging both technologies, he envisions turning smart contracts into real-world legal contracts.
One pertinent highlight of the book reflects a technology discussed by one of Juels' PhD students. The student perceived the relevance of the technology for their research work, suggesting a positive interaction between the research work and the book.
In the book, the protagonist mentions oracles as a tool to dismantle the power of Big Tech and Wall Street, reinstating a more equitable world. Juels disagrees, saying the character's views are more radical. He maintains that the book is not a roman à clef and doesn't corrrelate to any real-life individuals, barring a villain.
Juels and his colleague Eswar Prasad from Cornell University recently penned an article, advocating for a blockchain use case that could avoid disasters like FTX. They insist the focus should be on the overall promise of the technology, rather than just its financial aspects. Juels worries that politicians might overlook this fundamental innovation. He concludes by likening blockchain oracles to the Oracle of Delphi, hoping they may also play a positive societal role in reaching consensus during disputes.
Published At
2/29/2024 5:01:00 PM
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