What happens when the world’s leading society for educational and scientific computing hosts the largest summit to date on today’s two hottest technologies? See for yourself on May 22nd when the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) delivers the inaugural AiDecentralized summit at Toronto’s storied, Fairmont Royal York.
An ACM global initiative, AiDecentralized is a stellar event designed to connect the AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Blockchain communities and provide compelling insights into just what’s possible when the two technologies come together for a common goal. Each is transformative on its own, but together they achieve a synergy that has critical implications for data accountability and oversight.
Transforming all sectors
“AI and Blockchain are poised to reshape our entire society,” says Wonki Min, Chair of the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy and a professor at State University of New York, Korea. “Not only do they bring innovative solutions to the IT sector, but they also have the capacity to transform the business models of all economic sectors, including banking, retail, and transportation.”
Professor Min compares AI to other revolutionary technologies, such as the steam engine, electricity, and the Internet. The essential difference, he says, is that unlike previous technologies that replaced human mechanical power, AI replaces and complements human cognitive power.
A way to address vulnerabilities
The danger, according to Min and other experts in today’s digital economy, is the vulnerability of AI in the face of rising cybercrime. In our IoT world, where even an interconnected aquarium thermostat can be used to steal a London casino’s high-roller database, there is clearly a need to safeguard and guarantee the accuracy of our data.
“Some of the issues around privacy, transparency, and ethics could be addressed by fully distributed decentralized Blockchain technology,” suggests Min. “By bringing together experts in the field, AiDecentralized provides an opportunity to share knowledge and information that could help solve the current problems resulting from the rapid adoption of these technologies.”
A stellar line-up
As one of the Summit’s expert presenters, Min will be speaking on the importance of global multi-stakeholder cooperation in maximizing the benefits and mitigating the risks of AI and Blockchain. He joins an impressive list of speakers and panelists, including Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Irakli Beridze; ACM A.M. Turing Award recipient, Silvio Micali; and former Wikimedia CEO, Lila Tretikov.
Other attractions of this first-in-a-series of annual AiDecentralized summits include breakfast, a five-star lunch, and front row seats for an exciting global announcement from AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Decentralized Alliance). If that’s not enough, there will also be a lavish wrap-up cocktail reception for meeting and mingling with today’s top IT thought leaders.
“AiDecentralized seeks to be a catalyst for new innovative technologies born out of the intersection of Blockchain and AI,” says award-winning futurist and serial entrepreneur Stephen Ibaraki. “Be sure to take advantage of this groundbreaking opportunity to connect with AI and Blockchain experts and entrepreneurs.”
Although it’s early days in the relationship between AI and Blockchain, the IT world has great hopes for a union that leverages autonomous, decentralized governance as a security model. As interconnected devices continue to come under attack, and countries become more careful about protecting their data, Blockchain may hold the key to unlocking the vast amounts of information required by our cars, our appliances, our wearables, and yes – even the fish tanks in our casinos.
AI needs security. Blockchain provides it. It doesn’t take a dating app to see that the two should connect!
Can’t make the Toronto date on May 22? The AiDecentralized Summit will be launched soon in 25 cities across the world, including Geneva, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, London, Cape Town, Brisbane, Sao Paolo, Boston, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv.
