At the Ai4 2024 conference held at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas from August 12 to 14, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson gave a speech focusing on the challenges of integrating blockchain and artificial intelligence. Romain Pellerin, CTO of Input Output, summary Key points from Charles Hoskinson’s keynote address via X.
Cardano Founder: How to Merge AI and Blockchain
Hoskinson argued that blockchain could fundamentally support AI by providing a decentralized marketplace for data, models, and reasoning, thus acting as a foundational layer of incentives and trust. “AI can leverage blockchain as a layer of incentives and trust to build decentralized marketplaces for data, models, and reasoning,” Hoskinson was quoted as saying by Pellerin.
During his speech, Hoskinson traced the evolution of blockchain technology from “generation one to generation three” and highlighted the challenges and potential solutions. “The evolution of blockchain technology, from information transfer to value, has faced obstacles in a multipolar world,” the Cardano founder said.
Governance issues, particularly how decentralized technologies like blockchain and AI manage autonomy and control, were a major focus of Hoskinson’s speech. “Both blockchain and AI face governance issues, particularly in terms of decentralization and de-infrastructure, which pose parallel challenges for the industry,” Hoskinson said.
He pointed to the parallel challenges facing both fields, emphasizing the need for innovative governance that facilitates decentralization while ensuring effective management and integrity. “AI’s reliance on big data and computing power presents challenges in collecting and sharing data. Tokens and incentives may offer solutions,” the Cardano founder said.
Hoskinson also addressed the significant challenges facing data privacy in AI, calling for advanced solutions such as full homomorphic encryption to ensure that data can be processed without compromising privacy. He noted that this would enable truly private smart contracts and secure data exchange.
The Cardano founder also discussed the regulatory and philosophical challenges facing both technologies. As Pellerin relayed, “Blockchain, AI, quantum computing, and synthetic biology all face similar regulatory and data ownership challenges.” Hoskinson emphasized the importance of aligning these technologies within ethical and legal frameworks to ensure responsible development and deployment.
Hoskinson highlighted practical applications of blockchain in AI contexts, such as royalty management and vehicle identification systems, as areas where blockchain could manage complex computations and enable new functionality. However, there are challenges. “The integration of AI and blockchain is hampered by technical incompatibility and the first-mover problem, but complementary solutions may emerge that address these challenges,” Hoskinson explained. “Blockchain could secure data, reduce hacking incidents, and address the neglected data economy in the West, which is currently dominated by monopolies.”
In summarizing Hoskinson’s keynote, Pellerin concluded his remarks with a reflection on the technical and philosophical challenges of integrating these powerful technologies. “The convergence of blockchain and AI poses significant challenges but also opens up opportunities for innovation,” he said. “From governance and data privacy to decentralized markets and ethical concerns, the intersection of these technologies requires careful coordination and alignment of incentives to unleash their full potential.”
At the time of publishing this report, ADA was trading at $0.3382.
Featured image by X, chart by TradingView.com