The convergence of AI and blockchain

Written by Patrick Reynolds*

Blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have both been major buzzwords over the past decade; whilst both are often discussed separately, few realise how effectively they complement each other. In classical programming, the programmer explicitly defines the rules (logic and algorithms) based on the data, and the program processes. But in AI, the paradigm is flipped: instead of coding rules, AI creates the rules. Alan Turing, a pioneering figure, significantly shaped the AI landscape with his 1950 paper, ‘Computing Machinery and Intelligence’, which posed the foundational question: “Can machines think?” Machines “think” by uncovering, by themselves, model patterns hidden in the data, enabling them to create their own rules to reach a proxy. However, there are growing issues with the security of the data and algorithms, with transparency in the decision-making processes and with the integrity of the data used - all of which can compromise effectiveness and trustworthiness.