At BEYOND Expo 2025, angel investor and former Meitu Chairman Mike Cai delivered a keynote speech at the Artificial Intelligence Summit, where he shared his insights on the future interplay between artificial intelligence and Web3 technologies.
Cai described AI as a tool for enhancing productivity, while characterizing Web3 as a paradigm shift in production relationships. “AI improves how we work, but Web3 changes how we organize,” he said. He declared that AI and Web3 are not isolated trends but are destined to deeply integrate and mutually promote each other’s development. “Throughout history, AI has driven productivity, while Web3 has transformed the structure of human collaboration. Every phase of technological progress shapes who we become,” Cai said.
He pointed out that earlier innovations, such as carriages and ships for faster travel or machinery for more efficient labor, were focused on extending human physical capabilities, but argued that AI marks a new chapter by replicating and enhancing cognitive processes. “For the first time, we’re inventing a brain, not just hands and feet,” he said.
Cai also predicted that Web3 will bring fundamental changes to organizational forms. “From tribes to nations, from religions to corporations – every leap has been about increasing productivity. In the future, decentralized structures could redefine the concept of a company.”
Looking ahead, Cai outlined a deep integration between AI and Web3, with digital tokens playing a pivotal role in pricing and incentivization mechanisms. He envisioned a future of data-driven trade, where global commerce may transcend traditional national boundaries. “A data Age of Exploration could emerge,” he said, “which will usher in a new era of global exchange.”
Cai concluded by encouraging entrepreneurs to remain skeptical of authority and embrace disruptive innovation. “AI will challenge everything we know – that’s the biggest revelation for founders today,” he said.
As an example, Cai highlighted the AI startup DeepSeek, whose founder Liang Wenfeng achieved success by pursuing a novel technical path rather than relying on conventional models and resources. “DeepSeek didn’t build on the legacy systems of AI,” he said. “They started fresh – and it worked.”
