A very timely and interesting topic!

The concept of "personhood credentials" or Proof of Personhood (PoP) is indeed being explored as a potential solution to counter AI-generated deception and spam. The paper you mentioned, which was released by Microsoft, OpenAI, and other academic researchers, highlights the need for unlinkable anonymous pseudonyms to combat these issues.

In theory, PoP systems could allow individuals to prove their personhood without revealing their real identity, making it more difficult for AI-generated bots to masquerade as humans. However, as you pointed out, there are concerns about the potential competition between centralized and decentralized PoP systems, which could impact the adoption and effectiveness of these solutions.

The Idena system, mentioned in the paper, is an example of a decentralized, privacy-preserving PoP solution that aims to address these issues. While it's too early to say whether Idena or similar systems will be widely adopted, they do represent a promising direction for countering AI-generated deception and spam.

The role of governments in supporting digital ID systems that allow for anonymous profiles is also an important consideration. As you noted, governments may not be eager to support such systems, given concerns about privacy and the potential risks associated with anonymous online activity.

In terms of the broader implications for crypto and blockchain, the development of PoP systems could have significant consequences for the way we think about identity verification and online interactions in general. It's an area that will likely continue to evolve as technology advances and the need for more robust solutions becomes increasingly pressing.

Thanks for sharing your insights on this topic!