By Guest Author – Anujit
Singapore-based DeepBrain Chain, or DBC, is powering their Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing platform with blockchain technology. They introduced their cloud-based AI computing platform in May 2017, and already count Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, and Siemens as their clients. Over 100 manufacturers are using this platform. DBC has also launched DeepBrain Chain Coins, which are their tradable tokens.
AI, also known as machine intelligence or MI, is intelligence displayed by machines. Any device that perceives its environment and takes actions to maximize its chance of success displays AI. In other words, when a machine performs cognitive functions such as learning or problem solving, there is AI at work. While we all have some familiarity with AI thanks to apps such as Google Assistant or Apple Siri, AI also has important use at workplace, for e.g.
- SAP CoPilot – a digital assistant at workplace by SAP that helps with tasks such as purchasing contracts or collaborating with colleagues.
- Machine-learning contract review system developed by Deloitte and Kira Systems, which reads thousands of complex documents quickly and extracts textual information in structured manner for better analysis.
- AISense helps find important points in a recorded call and meeting transcriptions.
- WalkMe helps users receive personalized guidance when they are learning to use a software.
AI requires very significant computing power, and hence, most AI computing infrastructures utilize Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) together with a Central Processing Unit (CPU). GPUs accelerate applications in platforms such as AI to cars, drones and robots.
Presently, many small businesses can’t afford expensive GPU-powered computing platform for their AI projects. However, there are many larger companies with idle GPU servers. Increasing efficiency of the overall system, by better scheduling global resources and increasing utilization will benefit both small businesses and large companies. This is what DBC intends to do.
How can blockchain benefit an AI platform? A blockchain is a distributed database comprised of two or more block records (referred to as “blocks”), which are linked together while adhering to a predetermined standard or protocol. Each block is a data structure, which contains link to the previous block, a payload, the hash value (or the unique secret identifier) of the payload, and a proof of work (POW). POW is a piece of data that takes a significant amount of time and computer processing cycles to produce. A combination of user, software and specialized hardware, commonly referred to as “Miner”, can update the blockchain by adding new blocks. Blockchain contains important security measures ensuring that miners can’t update blockchain improperly. This security measure typically requires the miner to furnish POW, which is reliable evidence that very significant amount of essentially large number-crunching operation was done, to create a new block. For e.g., the miner may need to use the POW of the last block of the blockchain, before creating a new block for that blockchain. DBC is using this significant computer processing power in their AI platform, and the mathematical verification protocol to manage peaks and troughs in demand of AI computing resources.
All stakeholders benefit from DBCs AI platform, as illustrated below:
- The miners get rewarded with token from mining.
- AI companies pay much smaller amount of money to utilize the AI platform.
- DBC uses smart contracts to separate the data provider and data trainer physically, and protects the data of the provider.
Additionally, due to the power of blockchain, if hackers attack some nodes of DBC, the remaining nodes will continue to function and the AI platform operations are never interrupted.
DBC is the first AI platform powered by blockchain. They have a strong alliance with NEO, a blockchain platform based in China. In fact, DBC Coins are traded on a contract with NEO. There will be a total of 10 billion tokens, used as below:
- 10% is reserved for the DBC team,
- A private presale saw 6% of the tokens sold,
- 8% was sold during a public presale,
- 25% will be reserved for the DeepBrain foundation and ecosystem,
- 50% will be mined,
- Balance tokens were sold at a public sale.
DeepBrain has matured AI products in the market, such as Chinese voice assistant Smart 360 and AI speaker Small Zhi. They have been awarded with the “Golden Chain” award in Shanghai in December 2017.
