What is the most powerful technology in the world? This would be convergence.
Technological innovation can be spectacular. It can take on added meaning, however, when a few different technologies converge. This means the advancement curve each was on is effectively combined and creates another. Naturally, this tends to be more powerful than the first two operating separately.
For the last decade, we saw some of the foundation of Web 3.0 being developed. This has advanced at a pace that puts it far ahead of where it was a few years ago. While it might not mirror the rate of something technologies, we saw steady development.
The flipside to this is AI. When looking at the pace here, it is remarkable. It is skyrocketing, capturing the attention of many.
What happens when these both converge? Here is where things will get very interesting.
Image generated by Ideogram
The Convergence of Web 3.0 and AI
There are many reasons to focus upon this idea.
To start, there is no Internet going forward without AI. We can see how Web 2.0 is already embracing it. This means that a decentralized Internet is nothing without it. Hence, it is a practical matter. Applications must match user experiences elsewhere.
Of course, this is just the beginning.
Democratization if an important component to this. We can see how Big Tech is already taking control. This is imperative that other models are designed. It is also something that should span different blockchains.
The key is working through the different phases. We have:
- data
- information
- knowledge
It is the final phase that brings the real breakthrough.
When system that to understand context, which is the basis of knowledge, then we are dealing with something even more powerful. It is very difficult to do this manually. AI is a powerful tool to automate the extracting, organizing, storing, and disseminating collective knowledge.
Here is where the choice comes in. Do we want this all in the hands of Big Tech?
Decentralization looks to provide access to AI resources, including data, models, and compute power. It also brings a level of transparency we do not see within the corporate environment.
In other words, we are dealing with trust.
Decentralized AI Brain
In data science, there are tools called knowledge graphs. These map relationships between objects, facts, events, situations and other data. AI is often used to impart meaning and introducing structure to a diverse dataset.
The problem is that most knowledge graphs are being built by Web 2.0 companies, using their data, which is not being shared to others. Even if the data is scraped by another entity, it still have to construct its own graphs.
For the larger entities, this is not much of a problem. However, we can see how this is limiting when it comes to smaller startups.
Decentralized data graphs being a new level of democratization in making the knowledge graphs accessible by leveraging open, permissionless blockchain networks where the public can contribute, maintain and verify knowledge.
It is a move that can enhance trust. Since the data providers are involved, along with the transparency of what is available, people can audit the models, tracing the process back to the origins.
This is no possible with the likes of Google, OpenAi, and X.
Over time, a vast network of models will emerge. This will come from decentralized data which is used to construct knowledge graphs. From here, we could see AI agents emerging, both open and closed, which are also tied to blockchain applications.
Or the alternative is to feed into the likes of OpenAI and the ecosystem it is forming.
That will result in something other than decentralization.
Reward Mechanisms
One of the biggest debates is regarding the data being used to train models. OpenAI is one company that was hit with a variety of lawsuits over copyright infringement. However the courts rule, we are looking at a situation that is solved through blockchain.
With decentralized AI models, it is easy to track the contribution individuals made. The data can be traced back to the source, providing the opportunity to reward the creator.
This could accelerate the process as people realize they can benefit by participating. We could see the incentivization for more collaboration. The net result might be faster advancement as the network of participants grows.
Non-fungible tokens could be a factor at this point.
With image generation, what if the creation of that was tied to a NFT. The person behind the generation, even if it was prompted, has control of it via the token. This provides a public record of ownership. If that image is used, then some form of compensation could be take place.
Of course, the individual is free to transfer the NFT as seen fit. The rewards would simply flow to the new wallet.
As we can see, an entirely new realm of innovation and incentivization can occur. This removes many of the barriers that are being contested. It also fosters faster advancement as the participants have a reason to be involved.
Humanity's future is at a crossroads. While this is not citing the Skynet scenario, we are confronted with the choice between a world run by Big Tech or one where decentralized entities can generate more inclusion.