How Blockchain technology and artificial intelligence can help each other

Blockchain technology and artificial intelligence seem to be two completely different realms at first sight. How can the two camps benefit one another?

On the surface, blockchain technology and artificial intelligence appear to be two distinct domains. The goal of artificial intelligence research is to create computer systems capable of performing tasks that otherwise would require human intelligence. Meanwhile, blockchain platforms are typically developed to serve as distributed books that feed transactions and applications.

However, there is a certain amount of overlap between the two realms. Both fields imply new radical ways of managing information and using IT resources. With their combined powers, blockchain technology and artificial intelligence could introduce important innovations in both areas.

In addition, the IA sector is currently dominated by Big Tech companies such as Google and Facebook. Blockchain independent startups could release data repositories and technology talents from the grip of technology giants, allowing any company to bring new innovations. What follows are just some of the ways in which AI and blockchain technology could change the world and a handful of industries where the two technologies intersect.

Blockchain technology and IA are based on distinct but comparable technologies: both involve highly interconnected networks working towards a single result. Each blockchain is composed of countless nodes, which perform a competitive job to solve a problem. These nodes can be competing to produce several possible branches, but in the end only one branch is valid.

Artificial intelligence works in a similar way using decision trees. An artificial intelligence system is able to generate possibilities and routes of branching and, finally, decides that a branch is the correct solution to the problem with which it was presented. Blockchain can expand on this process by providing an AI system distributed over countless devices, and is not only found on local hardware or on a small network.

These symmetrical structures can be combined to build powerful systems. SingularityNET, for example, is a blockchain that allows AI services to work with other AI services to perform a given task. Deepbrain Chain, meanwhile, uses blockchain technology to provide computing power to AI groups.

AI technology can handle huge amounts of data. In fact, data processing and analysis is one of the main applications of IA. Unfortunately, there are not many effective ways for IA projects to easily access that data. A public blockchain, however, is a very effective way to make data widely available.

Ocean Protocol is a project that collects data and builds a blockchain layer that provides a basis for selling and tokenising data. Datum, meanwhile, is using blockchain to compensate individual users who sell their data to Datum's pre-selected partners, some of whom are AI developers.

In addition to making data more accessible to IA researchers, Blockchain can also limit the availability of such data based on the terms of ownership. Blockchain technology can use complex cryptographic techniques with zero knowledge to allow projects to use data ensuring that such projects do not obtain a copy of such data.

Projects like Oasis are providing encrypted data packets that can be used by artificial intelligence systems in proven calculations that do not reveal the information underlying the researchers. Similarly, Enigma provides a market for AI data that can not be redistributed or resold.

Blockchain has many applications in the supply chain sector, as it can provide a verifiable track of goods and services. This can guarantee that every phase of a process is performed correctly. AI could increase the level of automation in these supply chains.

Blockchain supply chains already introduce a certain degree of automation: smart contracts can execute transactions and oracles can retrieve external data. However, in the end human beings must recognize problems in the real world and check the ledger in order to find the source of a problem.

The addition of AI to blockchain supply chains, however, could automate supply chains even more. For example, Namahe uses machine learning to independently monitor supply chains and detect supply chain problems without human input, saving auditing costs and improving efficiency.

Previous applications could be artificially technical, but the robotics field could more closely combine blockchain and AI technology. Hanson Robotics developed a robot called Sophia that was programmed with some knowledge of cryptocurrency and blockchain-related topics before public demonstrations.

Hanson Robotics intends to do this: he has also collaborated with SingularityNET and plans to create a blockchain platform in which AIs can move freely, communicate with each other and exchange resources.

In the end, a completely autonomous population of virtual agents could interact on blockchain alone – something to which some people have warned.

Although at first sight blockchain technology and AI technology may appear completely different, there are indeed many overlapping opportunities between the two areas. Artificial intelligence can help blockchain by providing autonomous systems that perform tasks that would otherwise be left to humans, making the blockchain more useful than ever.

Furthermore, blockchain technology can improve artificial intelligence by providing a secure and decentralized way for artificial intelligence projects to access the data and resources they need. In the future, this could allow small businesses to overcome and overcome the current technology giants in the field of AI.