David Duong – head of research at Coinbase – says in a new report that blockchain could potentially aid in the many problems already coming about in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena.
David Duong on Blockchain and AI
In the report, Duong said:
As applications within AI and blockchain mature, the disruptions these technologies represent may lead to areas of collaboration and the emergence of new use cases for crypto to help address specific societal challenges posed by AI.
Duong lists five distinct problems in the document that have emerged through the introduction of applications like Chat GPT. The first is the demand for data resources. With this one, he writes:
A system of token incentives and penalties could ensure that the data meets the sufficient standards of quality needed by these models.
The second problem is the demand for computational resources. He says there’s a lot of computing power necessary to ensure generative AI moves accordingly. He also said blockchain could potentially create a system where resources are regularly shared. He wrote:
Decentralized networks of computing power can reward users who volunteer their idle GPUs to help relieve some of this computational burden.
The third problem to emerge involves misinformation or disinformation. Duong commented on the large amount of fake news that has emerged in recent years and platforms that often spew out lies as pure facts. Regarding this issue, he writes:
Blockchain and non-fungible token (NFT) technology can help combat this by establishing the provenance of images, video, music, and other media.
The fourth problem is auditability. Right now, he described AI decision-making processes as “opaque,” and said the verifiability of blockchain is what could make AI as clear and as transparent as the latter technology. He writes:
Integrating blockchain technology into AI models can help make those processes more transparent and allow users to scrutinize the logic and reliability of AI-produced outcomes.
The fifth and final issue discussed in the report is the democratizing of AI development and subsequent use. He said that crypto, which was designed to ensure people could gain equal access to financial and technological arenas, might help to ensure AI can be accessible by a larger group of people. He said:
Crypto platforms can help source a more diverse set of contributions, as well as redistribute access so more users can take advantage of its benefits (e.g., healthcare advice or e-commerce).
A Scary Arena?
AI, in many ways, is a growing industry. While it’s been around for some time, not until now was it beginning to show true promise and a real capacity for growth.
This has ultimately made several people involved in the technology space a little frightened. For example, South African billionaire Elon Musk has commented that it could ruin society as we know it.