Web3 and AI, both built on decentralized data systems, synergize to address trust and information security in the digital age.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency technologies are highly related. They significantly complement each other, leading to the mutual enhancement of their respective capabilities. According to Chris Frantz, the Loops email platform’s founder, most Web3 companies are incorporating AI in their companies.
Overcoming Simplification of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
It’s evident that there’s a fundamental misunderstanding about ‘Web3’, ‘blockchain’, and ‘crypto’. This stems from a failure to understand the basic principle that underlies all projects in these categories. These innovations primarily operate using a unique system of distributed record-keeping and incentives. This system effectively tackles human trust issues concerning information by allowing groups of people, who may not trust each other, to maintain open data records. That happens without the need for middlemen, creating a secure, decentralized environment for information sharing.
Importance of the New Data Architecture
Many don’t comprehend the overarching importance of this novel data architecture, from founders shifting from one technology to another to policymakers who solely view crypto as a tool for money-laundering. This could be traced back to Bitcoin’s establishment, where the primary focus should have been on sharing data and preserving privacy, as opposed to just monetary transactions. Money, while significant for societal operations, is just another form of data or information. People universally accept its symbolic representation of value. Hence, Bitcoin, in essence, was a prototype for a more expansive concept – a decentralized system for sharing valuable information in the digital age.
Challenges of Misunderstanding Cryptocurrency
This misunderstanding has hindered progress, allowing Web2 to persist, facilitating data manipulation by internet platforms, which has led to widespread mistrust in information systems and democracy. If there was a better understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrency’s potential, it would have allowed the industry to overcome its scaling, legal, and privacy challenges more efficiently. With the advent of AI, this misunderstanding could lead to severe consequences.
Addressing the Daunting AI Challenges
The challenges AI brings are formidable. These include protecting copyrights in large language models (LLMs), eliminating racial bias in AI outputs, and managing the “liar’s dividend” that comes with AI-generated content. Addressing these issues won’t be straightforward, but it’s clear that relying on outmoded 20th-century regulatory technology won’t solve these challenges. What’s needed is a decentralized governance system for producing, verifying, and sharing information in the AI era.
The Potential of Blockchain in AI
Blockchain technology, in its current form, has several characteristics that could potentially address these issues. For instance, the immutable ledgers in blockchains can help maintain the integrity of images and content, providing a safeguard against deep fakes. Similarly, people can use them to verify the authenticity of datasets used for training AI models. Cryptocurrencies could globally compensate people for their contributions to AI training. Projects like Bittensor are utilizing blockchain to create tokenized communities that encourage the development of user-friendly AI models.
Looking to the Future of Blockchain and AI
While these concepts such as AI and Web3 hold promise, it’s essential to acknowledge that there is still much more work needed to implement them at the required scale. Moreover, achieving these goals will necessitate the integration of various technologies, such as zero-knowledge proofs, homomorphic encryption, secure computing, digital identities, and decentralized credentials, Internet of Things (IoT), and comprehensive legislation. These laws should protect privacy, penalize harmful behavior, and foster human-centric innovation, ensuring that the AI systems of the future benefit everyone, not just private corporations and shareholders.