Why the Future of AI and Web3 Is Interlinked

Which came first: AI or web3? You don’t have to answer that. But there is another more pertinent question that begs consideration: does AI need web3? The two technologies are routinely mentioned in the same breath, despite each having been developed in isolation.

While each of these innovations remains capable of operating independently, when the pair are combined they have the potential to become greater than the sum of their parts. Artificial intelligence in particular benefits from the data transmission and storage capabilities that are synonymous with web3 networks. As a number of successful implementations show, the advantages of harnessing AI and web3 are manifold.

Twin Technologies in Action

One company making strides in marrying these dual forces is droppGroup, the tech developer combining web3 with AI and ML across a host of blockchains. Its latest product, droppLink, is an intelligent service platform that makes it easy for anyone to deploy and manage AI on chains such as Base, Polygon, Ethereum, and Solana.

This is achieved by tokenizing each action in the lifecycle of an AI model, which makes it easier to meter and monetize usage. droppLink validates the authenticity of AI-generated content and its corresponding training data for any AI model and Gen AI platform.

There are a number of benefits to droppLink versus existing end-to-end AI solutions according to its creators, not least in allowing all participants to share in the revenue generated by the AI model. This allows creators and IP owners to be fairly remunerated for their efforts. droppLink also abstracts computational requirements, supports micropayments, and democratizes data contributions, providing users with greater ownership and control.

AI for Everything, Everywhere

In the blockchain industry, AI is being harnessed in an array of creative ways to deliver greater efficiency and problem-solving. In the context of metaverse design, for instance, it’s being purposed to eliminate the need for 3D modelling and speed the creation time for digital content such as avatars, skins, characters, and even entire virtual worlds.

But that’s by no means the only use case for AI within the context of web3. Artificial intelligence is also being used to simplify smart contract creation and verification; to enhance web3 onboarding; to monetize spare GPU compute for ML; and to match ads with users’ interests to name but a few applications for the complementary technologies.

Faisal Al Monai, the droppGroup Chairman and Co-Founder, previously oversaw the Saudi Arabian government’s work with tech giants such as Microsoft, HP and Oracle. He also played a pivotal role in the development of SSSIT, a solution enabling over 50 government authorities to become paperless and connect to SADAD, Saudi Arabia’s official payment platform.

As for why AI and web3 should be mentioned in the same breath, Al Monai’s thesis is clear: “Web3 isn’t just blockchain. It represents a convergence of transformative technologies: blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and extended reality (XR). The convergence of these is creating the powerful force that is revolutionizing the tech landscape and will, through innovative technology companies, have a direct impact on the industry over the coming years.”

In other words, web3 is no longer about one transformative technology: it’s about many, which can be bundled to generate powerful effects. The droppGroup team believes that blockchain is the best vehicle for delivering AI thanks to its ability to democratize access. This ensures that the power of AI isn’t concentrated in the hands of the tech elite. Instead, it serves as a public good that anyone can utilize to solve real-world problems. 

The Best Is Yet to Come

Just as it took a decade for some of the most compelling use cases for blockchain to emerge, the same holds true of AI. While the technology itself isn’t new, it only reached critical mass in 2022 with the launch of products such as ChatGTP. While enterprise applications for AI are already extant, the consumer side is still very much in its infancy.

It’s easy to envisage a near future in which AI-powered smart assistants are managing our digital finances, aiding our crypto trading, and constructing our metaverses operating from basic human inputs. A few short text or audio prompts will be all it takes to unleash technology that our predecessors – or even ourselves a decade ago – could scarcely have imagined. This is the future we chose and it’s one in which AI and web3 are inexorably interlinked.