As for the concept of Web3, what we are familiar with now is the iterative Internet idea of integrating decentralized blockchain technology and token economics proposed by Gavin Wood in 2014. This idea has also been simplified by a16z partner Chris Dixon into:

web1: read

web2: read + write

web3: read +write + own (Read +write + own)

However, in the context of continuing severe challenges in the global economy and the negative impact of Luna, FTX and other violent incidents, the concept of Web3 has been stigmatized globally.

At the same time, the centralized explosion of DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, ChatGPT and many other AI models has started to make some people (like Jon Lai, general partner of a16z Games) change their minds, They began to think that the definition of Web3 should be AIGC.

Think: Do we need to redefine Web3?

What makes me wonder is that AI doesn't seem to have a strong conflict with blockchain technology, so why can't Web3 be read + AIGC + own (which combines the two concepts together)?

Many of you know this quote from PayPal founder Peter Thiel in his book Zero to One:

"To generate an exclusive advantage in a market requires a technological improvement of more than 10 times that of the nearest alternative."

While this 10x number may seem like an estimate, it does tell us that the improvement we need to beat our first-mover peers in the current market is significant.

Obviously, simply adding a title to an existing Web2 product simply won't achieve the escape velocity needed to beat gravity, so many so-called "Web3" applications will fall by the wayside or be short-lived. But we need to acknowledge that decentralisation and increased ownership is indeed an improvement.

Now that we have a revolutionary AI breakthrough, there is no reason to exclude it from the vision of Web3.

Let's assume that ownership (blockchain technology) brings X times of improvement to a product, and AI technology brings Y times of improvement, then by merging them together and adding some other Z times of improvement (UI, etc.), we can create disruptive alternatives (X+Y+Z, Even some improvements have synergies, where one plus one is greater than two).

So, I would tend to think that the true Web3 actually coincides with the concept of the metacosome, the new generation of the Internet brought about by various innovative technologies such as AI+ blockchain.

Take games for example: Web3 games require not only ownership, but also AI

Based on the past definition of Web3, we might be inclined to think that only 100 percent of games on the chain are Web3 games, and that games on the chain of ownership are Web2.5 games.

But if we take AI into account, this statement can be very misleading, because AI's impact on gaming may even exceed that of blockchain, and if we only focus on the latter, the resulting games will still be uncompetitive.

In a list of concerns for "The Big Ideas" recently published by a16z, a number of game partners of the VC institute's vision for the game sector in 2023, mainly around AI and blockchain two keywords.

"The biggest revolution to hit the games industry in 2023 will be the creation of productive generative AI models for all asset types needed to make modern games... Scientists are working on AI models for all asset types, including 3D models, music, sound effects, and more.

-- James Gwertzman, general Partner, a16z Gaming team "" With AI-assisted and cloud-based tools, a new UGC mobile-first platform will emerge that will have a more TikTok-like discovery-mode user experience than Roblox or Netflix, Users feel instantly happy when they open the application. Mobile game creation mode: Unlock.

-- Troy Kirwin, Partner, a16z Gaming team "" From ELIZA to ChatGPT, computers have successfully disguised themselves as humans. This phenomenon has also been seen in games through the massive popularity of "bots". As AI evolves and games get bigger, more complex and more realistic, these robots are increasingly able to convince humans.

"Game development was one of the first industries to experience major disruption due to generative AI. New tools have allowed artists and writers to transfer the initial (mechanical) creative spark to generating models and refocus their efforts on editing and optimization.

AI innovations that affect players will be more exciting than those that benefit developers. Ai continues to redefine what is possible in game design and play.

What is possible with a new generation of games designed exclusively for AI natives? We'll see emergent, procedurally generated worlds, each with its own rich history, inhabitants, and mysteries. There will be interactive fiction, stories that evolve through the player's choices and are told through generated images, video and audio, and the possibilities are endless.

-- Jack Soslow, Partner, a16z Games Team "" We're on the cusp of unlocking a new generation of web3 native games that are going to be fun, have broad appeal and are uniquely enabled by blockchain technology... Game modules are enhanced with web3 composability, allowing creators to automatically gain ownership and financial rewards through code, freely leveraging each other's assets.

"-- Jonathan Lai, General Partner, a16z Games Team"

So, the new generation of Web3 native games may not only be based on blockchain, but also rely on AI. Of course, onchain games like dark forest, which combine zero-knowledge proof technology and blockchain, are also a type of Web3 native games, but it seems that the development in this direction will face more challenges.

What is your opinion?