0G Labs Founder: AI Must Become a Public Good, Blockchain Solves Transparency Crisis

Source: HanKyungBlockchain Original Title: ‘삼성 픽’ 제로지랩스 “AI는 공공재…블랙박스 현상 막을 것” [코인터뷰]

Original Link: https://www.hankyung.com/article/202511181724g

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is critical infrastructure that will lead the future. This is why users need to understand how AI works. We want to solve this problem through blockchain.”

Michael Heinrich, founder of 0G Labs, made this statement in a recent interview.

Heinrich is a finance and technology expert with a background at global investment bank JP Morgan and hedge fund Bridgewater, and founded the wellness unicorn Garten. He later saw opportunities in AI and blockchain and entered the cryptocurrency industry.

AI Black Box: The Fundamental Risk of the AI Era

0G is an AI-specialized Layer 1 blockchain launched in 2023. 0G Labs pursues an era where “everyone uses AI.”

Heinrich identified the “black box” as the biggest obstacle. A black box is a system where users can only see input and output values when using AI, but cannot understand what calculations and judgments are made to derive the answer. He stated: “In an era where AI operates social systems, if internal structures are not verified, situations will repeat where we cannot even explain ‘why this decision was made.’ The black box is the most fundamental risk of the AI era.”

0G focused on decentralization using blockchain technology to solve this problem. Heinrich emphasized: “If we record the AI development process on blockchain so anyone can verify it, AI transparency will be much higher. This approach is the first step in making AI a public good.”

Proven Technology Through Major Investments

0G has focused on building blockchain specialized for AI from its inception, recognizing the structural limitations of existing Layer 1 solutions. The project recruited AI and blockchain experts, including Dr. Ming Wu, co-founder of Layer 1 blockchain Conflux, as Chief Technology Officer.

0G’s distinguishing feature is dividing the infrastructure needed for AI development and deployment into three main services: 0G Compute (AI model inference and training execution), 0G Storage (storage for AI inference results), and 0G Data Availability (data publication and verification).

Heinrich explained: “If you try to solve compute, storage, and data needed for AI all in one layer, bottlenecks occur. Operating each function independently dramatically increases cost efficiency and processing speed. With multiple operators participating, you can choose and use faster and cheaper infrastructure, and all processes are recorded on-chain for enhanced transparency.”

0G’s technology has already proven itself. During the testnet phase, 0G verified network stability through Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Alibaba Cloud. Most recently, the project received $325 million in funding from major investors including certain venture capital firms and leading blockchain investors.

Personal AI Will Be a Killer App

Heinrich also expressed expectations for the market. He noted: “South Korea is one of the countries with the highest smartphone usage in the world, and the speed of adopting new technologies is very fast. AI-based services will play a leading role as they enter daily life.”

Heinrich saw high compatibility between 0G Labs’ personal AI under development and the market. 0G Labs’ personal AI provides conversational services like ChatGPT but processes all data only on the user’s device—a kind of “private AI.” He stated: “In a country where people handle all activities on smartphones, personal AI agents will spread explosively. If we provide the experience of owning AI on a smartphone, it can become a ‘killer app.’”

Heinrich also discussed token value. The 0G token is used for AI-related services within the 0G network and gas fee payments. He explained: “The 0G token is not just an investment asset but the core fuel that drives the ecosystem. We designed it so that as actual usage increases, the token’s intrinsic value can grow accordingly.”