# zkMesh+ Exclusive Clip – Benedikt Bünz on the threat of AI

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/zero-knowledge-1048106/zkmesh-exclusive-clip-benedikt-b-nz-on-the-threat-of-ai
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/zero-knowledge-1048106/zkmesh-exclusive-clip-benedikt-b-nz-on-the-threat-of-ai.md
Podcast: [Zero Knowledge](https://stenobird.com/podcast/zero-knowledge-1048106)
Published: 2026-07-01T13:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/bx404benediktbunz
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c499041c-6093-484b-9cc6-7aafa4289eb3.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/zero-knowledge-1048106/episodes/zkmesh-exclusive-clip-benedikt-b-nz-on-the-threat-of-ai
Duration seconds: 364

## Resource

Last week on the show, we interviewed Benedikt Bünz , Chief Scientist at Espresso Systems and Professor at NYU. The conversation ran long, so we're releasing some of the extra material as an exclusive clip for zkMesh+ subscribers. We've also included the first five minutes here. In this segment, Anna, Kobi, and Benedikt discuss whether AI poses a genuine threat to the foundations of cryptography. They explore the 'immune system' metaphor for AI's dual role in security: it can uncover bugs and vulnerabilities, while also strengthening defenses through tools like formal verification. The conversation closes with the question of whether AI could ever break fundamental cryptographic primitives—or even invent new physics to do it. To hear the full discussion, head to https://zkmesh.substack.com/subscribe and become a paid subscriber.

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## Transcript

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