Day 3/60 Reviewing AI & Machine Learning: Blockchain-Tethered AI

Why does AI need to be tethered?

The benefits of AI is vast but if we are not careful, AI could destroy humanity. How can we build effective, nonthreatening AI?

A blockchain tether is like a log, in that events can be recorded and can be referenced later.

Unlike traditional troubleshooting, blockchain-tethered AI is more tamper-evident. When problems arise, engineers can figure out what happened and wind it back by using secure and immutable logs. This ensures transparency and accountability.

Machine Learning Concerns

Even though machine learning and artificial intelligence has brought substantial convenience to our daily lives, it poses many significant concerns.

• Opaque box (nontransparent algorithms)
• Genetic algorithms (code that learns by combining solutions that have the most optimal answer and then refines them)
• Program synthesis (code that can write itself with no assistance from a human)
• Technological singularity (AI’s no point of return where it loses human control and grows beyond human understanding or when the AI becomes more skilled at any skill than any other human at a task)

There is a hypothetical point in the future where we reach the point of no return in AI and witness unforeseeable changes in human civilization.

Common Attacks in Machine Learning and AI

• Adversarial Attacks: involves feeding a model crafted inputs designed to deceive it into making mistakes
• Poisoning Attacks: involves the injection of malicious data into the training dataset of a model that causes it to change.
• Evasion Attacks: the most common attack and it happens during the production stage of an AI model. It does not change the training data of a model but it involves changing the input data in a way that tricks the model into making a mistake (e.g. changing the contents of an email so the spam filter does not classify it as a spam email)
• Model Stealing: an attack aimed at recreating the model or training data
• Impersonation Attacks: often occur in image recognition where input data is used to trick the model

Blockchain Tethered AI:

Blockchain can track all the steps leading up to the change in the model’s output. It becomes a trace and an immutable log.

Blockchain is used to ensure transparency, accountability or consistency across such as, but not limited to:

• Purpose
• Training data
• Performance metrics
• Poor performance instances and conditions
• Intended domain
• Models and algorithms
• Inputs and outputs
• Bias

To effectively record the journey of your model using blockchain, you need a blockchain platform. You can choose from a diverse list that is not just limited to the most popular platforms:

• Ethereum
• IBM Blockchain
• Oracle Blockchain Platform
• AWS Blockchain
• Hyperledger Fabric
• Stellar

and more

Many of these platforms are enterprise-level and can run inside containers in systems like Docker or Kubernetes.

Note that Ethereum is a public blockchain platform and is permissionless. This is unlike other enterprise platforms that enable organizational management and access control.

Conclusion

Blockchain-tethered AI is a new technology and it can be intricate to fathom even for seasoned professionals. In short:

• Benefits: Transparency, accountability, fairness, consistency
• Challenges: Privacy, data deletion, bias detection.
• Solutions: Privacy-preserving techniques, hybrid storage
• Outcome: Responsible AI development that safeguards rights and ensures fair practices.

Let blockchain inspire your next project in AI!

Imagine creating an AI system that not only performs revolutionary tasks but also offers state-of-the-art transparency and security. Many big tech companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and Google have already started employing blockchain in their AI to comply with transparency regulations. Becoming proficient in this skill will turbocharge your skills and turn you into a game-changer in the job market.

Future-Proofing Your Skills

• The combination of blockchain and AI is at the forefront of technological innovation.
• Developing expertise in these areas makes you highly valuable in the job market.
• Opens opportunities in diverse industries such as finance, healthcare, supply chain, and more.

Let me know what you think and see you soon in day 4!