# Can AI Actually Break Cryptography? Experts Weigh In On the FUD

> with Dan Boneh, Eddy Lazzarin, Justin Thaler and Liz Harkavy AI is getting better at solving hard math problems. But what does that mean for the cryptography protecting everything from banking and private messages to crypto wallets and more? We bring together expert cryptographers from Stanford and ...

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/can-ai-break-cryptography
- Authors: [Dan Boneh](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/dan-boneh), Eddy, [Justin Thaler](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/justin-thaler)
- Published: 2026-10-09
- Updated: 2026-10-15
- Tags: cryptography, blockchain, AI, AI Math
- Format: podcast

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[Embedded media](//www.youtube.com/embed/k_CoOoDsZ5Y?si=AFxIde2wCeQsJa24)

**with Dan Boneh, Eddy Lazzarin, Justin Thaler and Liz Harkavy**

AI is getting better at solving hard math problems. But what does that mean for the cryptography protecting everything from banking and private messages to crypto wallets and more?

We bring together expert cryptographers from Stanford and a16z crypto to make sense of the recent warnings sounded on social media, partly sparked by OpenAI’s drop of recent math results. We cover what’s fact, what’s assumption; what’s new and which risks cryptographers have long prepared for; where quantum computing fits; and where they see opportunities for builders to make software more secure.

**Highlights:  
**  
[00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&pp=0gcJCWMAwfN6Pr3D) Intro[00:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=37s) What sparked the debate about AI and cryptography[01:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=95s) Signal vs. noise: What the math does and doesn’t tell us[05:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=329s) Why cryptography depends on open problems[09:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=565s) Why the stakes go beyond blockchains[10:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=643s) How AI could strengthen confidence in cryptography[13:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=830s) Considerations for users and institutions[20:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=1210s) Where AI and quantum threats overlap[22:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=1352s) Building systems that can change cryptographic methods[23:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=1439s) Hash-based versus lattice-based cryptography[33:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=1987s) Opportunities for builders and better security tools[38:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_CoOoDsZ5Y&t=2294s) What comes next if there were a cryptographic break?

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As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.

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Source: [Can AI Actually Break Cryptography? Experts Weigh In On the FUD](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/can-ai-break-cryptography) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts