Brians and Chains fireside chat

As a kid born in the 2000s, technology has always been front and center in my life. I have always had a natural inclination for technology, and a natural tendency to ask how technology could improve every aspect of society. Two areas of technology that have fascinated me for several years now are blockchain and artificial intelligence, but I never pictured the two fields intersecting.

The 2018 Brains and Chains conference, hosted by Talla and Botchain in New York, changed that for me.

I wondered whether the conference would attract more blockchain fans or more AI fans. A quick scan of the room showed that attendees with a blockchain background far outnumbered those from AI. This wasn’t too much of a surprise, given the number of new blockchain and cryptocurrency enthusiasts who have entered the scene since the high profile bull market of late 2017.

Most disruptive new technologies go through cycles of misunderstanding and fear followed by hype and unchecked optimism. Blockchain and AI have both been riding that rollercoaster of public opinion for the last few years. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between true advocates and speculators.

During the networking portions of the event, I sensed a tension running between these two camps. Those who consider themselves longtime devotees of AI and blockchain see the vast majority of new investors and speculators as a negative influence on both fledgling industries. Instead of fueling the growth of platforms for innovation, they look for opportunities to get rich quick by cashing in on the hype.

My biggest takeaway from the Brains and Chains conference was the importance of skepticism and critical thinking when evaluating new projects that involve both blockchain and artificial intelligence. I now do a quick gut-check whenever I look at a new project: Are they creating a blockchain and slapping a reference to AI on top of it to generate buzz, or have they actually created a project that is, at the core, an innovation in artificial intelligence empowered by a blockchain?

This is what led to my fascination with the Mind AI project. Mind AI has not just created a highly effective and efficient artificial intelligence engine, but the team has also discovered a way to rapidly advance the data collection and development needed to build the AI by using a cryptocurrency to incentivize worldwide collaboration.

Many independent AI projects struggle to get off the ground because of the closed-off, highly competitive nature of the field. The leading innovators in AI keep their data and code locked in walled gardens, trying to beat their competitors to the next breakthrough. Mind AI stands to break down those walls by utilizing a decentralized blockchain to incentivize developers to work together and share data rather than follow the archaic system of secrecy and classified development. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.