Dfinity taps SingularityNET to bring AI services to DApps

SingularityNET CEO Ben Goertzel said it’s important to make AI systems available in decentralized networks and not controlled by elite groups.

Research and development firm Dfinity Foundation has partnered with artificial intelligence (AI)-focused blockchain firm SingularityNET to improve the infrastructure of decentralized AI and allow decentralized applications (DApps) on the Internet Computer blockchain to access large language models (LLMs). 

On Nov. 20, the companies announced the launch of a joint initiative to integrate the ICP blockchain with the SingularityNET marketplace. According to a statement sent to Cointelegraph, the initiative aims to address the lack of transparency in the training data of AI tools because of its centralized nature. The two companies believe decentralizing AI models will make them tamper-proof and transparent.

With the collaboration, blockchain developers who want to connect with AI can use the ICP network. The announcement highlighted that decentralized AI models on ICP are run within smart contracts, which makes the training parameters of the LLMs tamper-proof and open source.

Apart from the blockchain integration, the two companies will also connect their grant programs. According to the announcement, this aims to “stimulate community developer engagement” and provide resources that can be used to advance decentralized AI.

Related: How decentralization can mitigate ‘dystopic’ artificial intelligence risks — SingularityNET exec

Ben Goertzel, the CEO of SingularityNET, highlighted that many experts believe that AI is about to break through into human-level artificial general intelligence (AGI) in the next few years. He explained:

“Given this context, it’s extremely important that we move rapidly toward making the most advanced AI systems on the planet available via decentralized networks, not owned or controlled by any elite group, Big Tech company or government agency.”

Meanwhile, Dominic Williams, the founder of the Dfinity Foundation, said there’s been an uptick in projects using AI on the ICP blockchain since it launched a $5 million grant in July. According to Williams, the initiative with SingularityNET will further advance their vision for decentralized AI.

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