Unveiling NEAR Protocol: A Blockchain Solution for the Future of AI

The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology is rapidly transforming the tech landscape. Among the innovative projects at the forefront of this intersection is NEAR Protocol AI blockchain, a layer-1 blockchain designed to empower user-owned AI and tackle the challenges of centralized AI systems. NEAR Protocol aims to provide the infrastructure, tools, and ecosystem necessary for building a more open, transparent, and user-centric AI future. This article explores the origins, vision, and current state of NEAR Protocol's ambitious endeavors in the realm of AI.

The Genesis of NEAR Protocol: From AI to Blockchain

Interestingly, the NEAR Protocol's journey began not as a blockchain project, but as an AI platform. Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR and co-author of the influential "Transformer: Attention is All You Need" paper, initially established NEAR.ai with the goal of training AI models using a global network of computer science students. However, the challenges of micro-transactions and the lack of suitable payment networks led to the creation of NEAR Protocol as a blockchain solution capable of scaling with microtransactions and providing user-friendly onboarding experiences. This unique origin story positions NEAR Protocol as a project deeply rooted in the AI space, with a clear understanding of the infrastructure and tools needed to support AI development.

NEAR Protocol's Vision: User-Owned AI and Self-Sovereignty

At the heart of NEAR Protocol's AI strategy lies the vision of user-owned AI. This vision emphasizes the importance of placing the power of AI in the hands of users, rather than a select few mega-corporations. NEAR Protocol believes that users should have control over their data and that AI systems should be transparent, accountable, and beneficial to the entire community.

Central to this vision is the concept of self-sovereignty, which empowers users with full control over their data. NEAR Protocol aims to integrate this principle with AI, ensuring that data usage and processing are transparent and that users can have personalized AI assistants without compromising their privacy. This vision is about creating a sovereign system where blockchain's capabilities are leveraged to secure and track information. This also means facilitating payment and value accrual to the people providing the data that trains these AI models.

Key Components of NEAR Protocol's AI Ecosystem

NEAR Protocol is actively building an ecosystem to make its vision of user-owned AI a reality. This includes:

• NEAR AI R&D Lab: Led by Illia Polosukhin and Alex Skidanov, the NEAR AI R&D Lab is focused on tackling the core problem of building end-to-end Web3 applications from user intents. The lab is working on developing an "AI Developer" capable of building applications that require a high degree of precision and security.
• AI-Focused Incubator and Investment Wing: The NEAR Foundation has launched an AI-focused incubator and investment wing to fund and support AI projects built on the NEAR ecosystem. This initiative aims to attract more builders and position the user-owned AI ecosystem for success at a global scale.
• NEAR Tasks: NEAR Tasks is an on-chain crowdsourcing platform designed to connect vendors with taskers for AI model training. This marketplace addresses the issue of job displacement by AI and provides a transparent path for individuals to monetize their skills and knowledge in the AI labor market.

Credit: miro.medium.com

NEAR's Technical Advantages for AI Applications

NEAR Protocol offers several technical advantages that make it well-suited for AI applications:

• Scalability: NEAR Protocol utilizes a unique sharding technology called Nightshade, enabling the network to process thousands of transactions per second. This scalability is crucial for handling the data-intensive nature of AI training and inference.
• Low Transaction Fees: NEAR Protocol offers low transaction fees, making it an attractive platform for micro-transactions and rewarding contributors in AI-related tasks.
• Developer-Friendly Environment: NEAR Protocol supports multiple programming languages, including Rust, JavaScript, and WebAssembly (Wasm), making it easier for developers to build and deploy AI-powered applications.
• Chain Abstraction: Chain Abstraction allows developers to build applications that seamlessly interact with assets on any chain, expanding the possibilities for cross-chain AI applications.

Credit: near.org

NEAR Protocol's Approach to Building Large AI Models

NEAR Protocol has unveiled ambitious plans to build the world's largest open-source AI model. The project involves creating a 1.4 trillion parameter model, which would be significantly larger than existing open-source models like Meta's Llama. This model is intended to be created through crowdsourced research and development, incentivizing collaborators through monetization and privacy preservation techniques.

The Competitive Landscape: NEAR Protocol and Other AI Crypto Projects

While NEAR Protocol is making significant strides in the AI space, it is not alone. Several other blockchain projects are also exploring the intersection of AI and cryptocurrency, including:

• Internet Computer (ICP): ICP aims to extend the functionality of the Internet by enabling the creation of all kinds of DApps and Web3 services and offers multi-chain features and full-stack tools to build social media channels, enterprise-focused platforms, gaming, virtual reality, and more.
• Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (ASI): Formed by Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol, the ASI Alliance is focused on advancing decentralized Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and ultimately achieving Artificial Superintelligence (ASI).
• Render (RNDR): Render is a decentralized GPU rendering platform that aims to connect digital artists and studios with GPU owners who have spare computational power.
• Bittensor (TAO): Bittensor is a decentralized, blockchain-based protocol that enables the creation of an open-source, AI-powered neural network.

These projects, along with NEAR Protocol, are driving innovation and offering new opportunities for decentralized applications that can benefit a wide range of developers and users.

The Road Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities for NEAR Protocol

While NEAR Protocol has a compelling vision and a strong foundation, it also faces several challenges in its quest to become the home for user-owned AI. These challenges include:

• Coordination and Collaboration: Effectively coordinating efforts among a large number of contributors in a decentralized environment can be difficult.
• Scalability and Performance: Training and deploying large AI models requires significant computational resources and efficient infrastructure.
• Competition: NEAR Protocol faces competition from other blockchain projects and centralized AI companies.

Despite these challenges, the opportunities for NEAR Protocol are immense. By successfully building a robust ecosystem for user-owned AI, NEAR Protocol can:

• Democratize AI Development: Make AI development more accessible to a wider range of individuals and organizations.
• Promote Transparency and Accountability: Ensure that AI systems are transparent and accountable to their users.
• Create New Economic Opportunities: Unlock new revenue streams for individuals and communities through AI-related tasks and services.

Conclusion: NEAR Protocol's Potential to Shape the Future of AI

NEAR Protocol AI blockchain represents a promising approach to building a more open, transparent, and user-centric AI future. By combining its technical strengths, its commitment to user-owned AI, and its growing ecosystem, NEAR Protocol has the potential to shape the future of AI and empower individuals and communities around the world. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, NEAR Protocol is well-positioned to be a leader in the movement towards decentralized and user-owned AI.