Microsoft believes that artificial intelligence (AI) is the most important technology of our time and has been at the forefront of AI research and investment. However, the tech giant is also interested in exploring the potential intersection of blockchain technology and AI.
Yorke Rhodes, Microsoft’s director for digital transformation, blockchain and cloud supply chain, spoke about this intersection at the recent Cornell Blockchain Conference. He mentioned that as these two technologies progress, it is possible to create agents that combine the power of both. According to Rhodes, Microsoft is just scratching the surface of what is possible.
During a panel discussion titled “Crypto x AI,” Rhodes was asked if Microsoft would have its own blockchain in the future. He responded by saying that there is already a lot of interesting work happening in the crypto space, including in the open-source community. Instead of trying to recreate something that already has significant investment, Microsoft’s focus is currently on optimizing existing technologies like layer-2 blockchain rollups.
The panel also discussed the relationship between crypto and AI. Matt Stephenson, head of research at Pantera, mentioned that crypto is well-positioned to support certain types of AI, particularly transformer and diffusion models. However, he acknowledged that AI tends to dominate the conversation and can overshadow other emerging technologies like crypto and blockchain.
The discussion also touched on the challenges of decentralized networks. While decentralized networks like blockchains can reduce communication overhead and latency compared to centralized networks, there are still hurdles to overcome. Neil DeSilva, CFO at PayPal Digital Currencies, highlighted the importance of regulators in the AI space and the need to find the right balance of regulation to protect consumers without stifling innovation.
The panelists also shared their visions for the future of AI. Jasper Zhang, CEO and co-founder at Hyperbolic Labs, predicted that AI will become so powerful that every company will be an AI company in the near future. Zhang also believes that AGI (artificial generalized intelligence) will become possible within the next five to 10 years.
Overall, the panelists emphasized the potential of AI and blockchain technology, while acknowledging the challenges and the need for responsible regulation. They also discussed the importance of privacy and data security in the future of AI, with technologies like fully homomorphic encryption expected to play a significant role.