By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 18th, 2024
AI unites with blockchain tech to turn data into genuine, real-world AI solutions by connecting all parties and integrating all AI-based stages of app development and deployment in a single product.
Some would argue that AI technology is the secret ingredient to the continued success of well-compensated engineers around the world. It has been estimated that AI-driven services and other technologies might reach almost $60 billion by 2025.
In 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute reported that the AI industry was worth between $26 billion and $39 billion, with over 60% of funds allocated to machine learning development.
The competitive advantage of companies like Google is the uniqueness of dataset ownership, and top-notch algorithms released and advertised as open source. Big companies understand the importance of protecting their data, and their advantage is the free help from their users in exchange for services. Smaller players cannot afford the costs involved to acquire expensive datasets, meaning that startups lose their chance at validating their pioneering AI-based solutions.
Blockchain to the Rescue
A new Blockchain-based project, Dbrain, has developed a tool targeted at both data scientists and crowdworkers. The scope of the project is to turn data into genuine, real-world AI solutions. Dbrain aims to empower people around the world, including low-wage countries, to bring in their contribution in AI and get paid for their work. The mission is to communize the AI scenario and build a strong community of developers that blends AI deployment and app development in a single product.
Crowdworkers are in charge of performing simple tasks related to data labeling and validation, for which they receive instant payment with cryptocurrency. Following this, Dbrain aims to use the resulting datasets to train neural networks and create AI apps. The Dbraincoin will be the digital currency handling all user transactions transparently. Together with Blockchain protocols it will ensure complete anonymity and fair revenue distribution.
A Closer Look at the Dbrain Product
At the core Dbrain lies the user’s ability to label images for AI, and in exchange, earn cryptocurrency. A simple task of data labeling cannot be fully automated yet and requires a lot of human input taking up to 80% of data scientists’ time when building an AI application. The upcoming Blockchain-based project appeals to both crowdworkers and data scientists looking to transform data into proven, real-world AI-based solutions.
By connecting all parties and integrating all AI-based stages of app development and deployment in a single product, Dbrain aims to come up with an AI production cycle powered by Blockchain:
- Data owners upload the raw data onto the Dbrain platform and host datasets;
- Next, data labelers classify the data, as well as validate datasets to earn Dbraincoins;
- Data scientists train the neural networks and craft the AI-based apps;
- Businesses leverage existing solutions or request new models for bespoke solutions.
The Dbrain internal cryptocurrency and Blockchain protocols make sure that funds are distributed fairly and transparently. The platform’s SPOCK protocol ensures labeling quality, whereas the PICARD protocol guarantees the data is kept confidential and private for data owners.
As there are currently over 2 billion people around the world possessing no bank account, the Dbrain project could help provide a legal digital identity to both freelance workers interested in AI and businesses in need of AI-based apps. Although the platform is still in its early stages, Dbrain technologies are used by companies in different niches and industries such as Kupivip and Carprice (e-commerce), FinalPrice (travel), Chronobank and Micromoney (fintech). An ICO is planned to be announced in the near future.