Vitalik: The prediction market is becoming a new type of information medium, and security remains a key issue in the development of AI agents

On October 22nd, at the main forum of ETHShanghai 2025, Xiao Feng, vice chairperson and executive director of Wanxiang Holdings, chairperson of Wanxiang Blockchain, chairperson and CEO of HashKey Group, and Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, held in-depth conversations on three topics: AI, prediction markets, and ZK ID.
During the US election, many people participated in predictions through Polymarket, which was a success in itself, Vitalik said. Traditional media and social media may not be able to judge the importance of events, while prediction markets reflect reality faster through price signals, and it is becoming a new information medium. Prediction markets are not only suitable for large-scale events, but also can accurately predict small events with the help of AI. In the future, the combination of AI and prediction markets will make predictions more mainstream and intelligent.
For the AI track, Vitalik suggested that blockchain defines the rules of the game, and AI can become a participant. With the rise of AI agents, they can issue coins independently, participate in applications and governance, and open up a lot of experimental space, and further thinking should be given to how to empower ecological development in the future. But he stressed that AI should not replace people, but should become a tool for people. Security remains a key issue, including the risk of hacking agents.
He further mentioned the potential of ZK ID (zero-knowledge identity) in preventing AI abuse. ZK ID can help distinguish between real people and robots, while protecting privacy, it can support the development of tracks such as low-risk DeFi.