Liberman Brothers Against Digital Feudalism: How Decentralized AI Can Save Humanity

As global capital rushes at the speed of light into OpenAI and similar companies, trying to build algorithmic empires through centralized data centers, two names re-emerge in the Silicon Valley media landscape. Daniil and David Lieberman—creators of a platform sold for $64 million—return with a radical warning. The Lieberman brothers assert that without urgent action, humanity will become digital serfs under algorithmic monopolies. Their new project Gonka—a decentralized AI computing network—offers a path to salvation.

Performance Calculation: How Humanity Will Become a Minority

The Lieberman brothers start with astonishing math. Over the past century, human productivity has roughly doubled every three decades. But the advent of embodied AI will completely disrupt this trajectory. Their forecast sounds like science fiction, but they take it seriously: there will be 10 billion robots on Earth.

These are not just mechanical manipulators on assembly lines. The Liebermans envision a future where each person has a digital-physical twin working around the clock without fatigue. A programmer will have a robot synchronized with their coding logic. A designer will continue their creativity in the physical world. Essentially—humanity will suddenly increase its productive capacity by four, ten, or even a hundred times.

The Lieberman brothers emphasize: this is not just a technological leap but an existential crisis. When every human “self” has a powerful digital-physical equivalent, the entire system of labor value, wages, and social security will collapse in an instant.

Giants Shaping the Future: The Danger of Generative Monopolies

However, the real danger lies not in AI itself but in who owns it. The Liebermans remember well how iOS and Android, through the App Store, established complete control over the mobile ecosystem. Now, giants plan to repeat this scenario at the level of all intellectual activity.

The first sign of monopoly—death of the App Store. When AI can generate fully functional applications in milliseconds based on simple user requests, downloading ready-made programs will become an anachronism. Users will just ask the AI giant for the needed service. And thus, developers will disappear from the chain: only the monopoly remains between the user’s request and its fulfillment.

The second problem—concentration of power. The Liebermans see an upcoming oligopoly of five companies: OpenAI, xAI, Google Gemini, Meta, and Anthropic. If AI determines every line of code you see, read, and even imagine, these companies will become the architects of all digital logic of humanity.

The third level of control—financial. BlackRock and similar mega-conglomerates support these companies. When capital-intensive infrastructure is controlled by a few players backed by financial giants, talk of “open source” and “inclusive access” turns into marketing noise.

Gonka: The Network Revolution of Computing Power

Faced with the prospect of algorithmic totalitarianism, the Liebermans devised a counter-strategy. Gonka is not just another startup but an attempt to redefine the very nature of computing infrastructure.

“Centralized AI builds tall skyscrapers, but the world needs roads,” explains Daniil Lieberman. And indeed, Gonka offers just that: equal access to computing power via a distributed protocol.

The Liebermans made an interesting discovery first. Bitcoin possesses enormous computational power, but most of it is spent on “useless hashing.” Through a decentralized protocol, this power can be transformed into “useful AI computations.”

Gonka introduces a revolutionary consensus mechanism—Proof of Compute. Instead of miners occupying resources 24/7, they only need to complete proofs of AI inference in a very short time and earn tokens as rewards. The result: the cost of renting GPU power drops several orders of magnitude below AWS or other cloud providers.

The growth rate of the project is astonishing. In 100 days, the network’s H100-level computing power grew from 60 devices to over 10,000. This demonstrates that the blockchain industry, which has suppressed its demand for computing resources for years, is ready to explode at the first opportunity. Bitfury’s $50 million investment confirms the judgment: future AI infrastructure will inevitably be distributed, license-free, and globally shared.

The AI Bubble and the Future of Fiber Optic Cables

The Liebermans have a sober view of the current AI hype. In their opinion, the bubble is created by madly discounting the “future monopolistic profits” by giants. When decentralized networks like Gonka lower the cost of computations, the premium prices currently built into the giants’ valuations evaporate.

But what’s instructive is this: when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, it left behind a global fiber optic cable network. This infrastructure enabled the internet to become mainstream.

The Liebermans believe that even if the AI bubble bursts, the “intellectual infrastructure” it leaves behind will become the foundation for the next leap of civilization. Those who manage to master low-cost decentralized channels of computing power first will break through the debris of the monopolistic era.

How to Survive in a World of 10 Billion Robots

If robots take over pure productivity, what remains for humans? The Liebermans—practical thinkers rather than mere philosophers—offer two concrete strategies.

First: find a unique combination of skills. If you’re just a programmer, AI will replace you in a day. But if you’re a developer who also understands Russian literature, quantum physics, and law—you are invincible. AI models can be extensive in knowledge, but it’s nearly impossible for them to imitate genuine interdisciplinary understanding accumulated through life experience and cultural heritage. This unique intersection defines the depth of questions you can pose to AI (the essence of Prompt Engineering) and creates a creative barrier around your results.

Second: take a responsible stance. AI can compute but cannot bear responsibility. In future social contracts, execution will become a cheap resource, while decision-making and approval will be precious. Only those willing to take full responsibility for AI’s results will become central nodes in the future system of cooperation.

Geostrategic Opportunity for Small States

The Liebermans see an unexpected chance for countries outside the US-China pole. Instead of suffering from chip embargoes and technological bans, they can:

Deploy local computing power. By participating in protocols like Gonka, using cheap electricity and accessible ASIC chips, even less wealthy countries gain access to a global decentralized network.

Build reputation and skills. By encouraging local developers to contribute to open licenses, small states can establish their own AI service ecosystems at a “sovereign” level.

As the Liebermans wittily put it: “Small countries don’t need to compete with skyscraper giants. They just need their own AI road at their doorstep.”

The Last Frontier of Sovereignty

The Liebermans are not just pursuing business logic—they are conducting a large-scale social experiment. They see two possible future trajectories: closed OpenAI-like models leading to “digital Middle Ages,” where algorithmic kings rule over digital serfs. Decentralized AI, represented by Gonka and similar projects, is the last chance for ordinary people to preserve sovereignty.

This marathon of 10 billion robots is just beginning. Just as Bitcoin proved the world the possibility of decentralized currency, the Liebermans aim to demonstrate that the most powerful productivity tools should not be locked away in skyscraper dungeons but flow to the fingertips of everyone who chooses to wield them.

Disclaimer: This material is based on public interviews and the main theses of the Liebermans regarding the Gonka protocol. It is not investment advice. Gonka, as an evolving infrastructure, faces technological and market risks. Investors are advised to exercise caution.