Vitalik Buterin on the threat of excessive concentration of power in the future
Renowned developer Vitalik Buterin published an article titled Balance of Power, arguing that the main threat of the 21st century is not technology, but the excessive concentration of power. He identifies three major forces—governments, large corporations, and mass movements—which people both desire and fear simultaneously.
Source Vitalik Buterin
According to Buterin, these forces can be beneficial by providing order, technological progress, and civic engagement, but each becomes dangerous when wielding too much power. In the past, balance arose naturally due to the slow and inefficient scaling of large systems; today, however, technology and automation enable single actors to grow unchecked, amplifying a winner-takes-all effect.
To maintain stability in the 21st century, Buterin proposes not eliminating strong players but maintaining a balance of influence: the state should act as a rule-setter rather than an active player; business must avoid monopolizing culture and politics; and civil society should stay pluralistic rather than becoming a single mass movement. This can be achieved through power diffusion and redistribution.
