Distributed AI Compute - Bridging Web2 and Web3 | 3 Experts Roundup
In recent years, the shift from centralized structures to decentralized frameworks has been gaining momentum, particularly within the technology landscape. Decentralized AI compute has emerged as a crucial element of this transition, fostering greater internet freedom, security, and efficiency.
In this article, we explore insights from three experts who provide valuable perspectives on how decentralized AI compute bridges the gap between traditional web2 frameworks and the innovative landscape of Web3.
Chris Williams, CEO at OpSec
‘’My background is rooted in the defense and security sector in the UK, where I contributed to cutting-edge programs before transitioning to the crypto industry in 2017. Since then, I’ve led marketing campaigns for numerous 'Top 100' blockchain projects, including spearheading the strategy for one of the fastest-growing token projects in history, achieving a $1 billion market cap in just three weeks. Since joining OpSec in February, I’ve been focused on driving the company's growth and helping it reach new heights. My mission is to foster economic empowerment and accelerate the mass adoption of Web3, particularly as it intersects with the Web2 ecosystem.’’- Chris Williams.
Chris envisions that decentralized AI compute represents a crucial bridge between the Web2 and Web3 worlds, addressing some of the major pain points experienced by traditional centralized systems. Today, even the largest data centers operated by giants like AWS and Google face issues with capacity constraints and congestion. By decentralizing compute power through blockchain technology, we not only enhance connectivity but also promote a more equitable distribution of resources and data.
Blockchain enables smart contracts that support privacy-centric, federated learning models, where machine learning can occur locally without exposing sensitive data. This is transformative for industries that rely on data sovereignty. Furthermore, the decentralized architecture mitigates latency and removes data bias, as decision-making and processing can occur across a globally distributed network. In short, decentralized AI compute offers the scalability and security that Web2 has struggled to maintain, while also aligning with the decentralization ethos of Web3.
When it comes to onboarding Web2 companies, it’s all about building platforms that simplify the deployment and maintenance of dApps and decentralized domains. If we can provide seamless, reliable solutions that integrate with Web2 processes, the transition will become relatively straightforward. The real challenge lies in making decentralized technologies more accessible and functional for Web2 companies, which often have ingrained practices and infrastructures.
As Web3 matures, interoperability will become less of a hurdle. Designers are already working on APIs and automations that will ease friction between these ecosystems. Once these tools are fully developed, Web2 companies will find the shift to decentralized infrastructure more attractive and feasible, especially as they look for more efficient, secure alternatives to centralized cloud solutions.
In the next few years, Chris foresees Web2 becoming increasingly centralized, as corporations and governments continue to impose more controls over data. This centralization will, in turn, lead to greater demand for Web3 alternatives, as individuals and businesses seek more autonomy and control over their data. Decentralized AI compute will become an integral part of this shift.
In Web3, blockchain adoption will grow exponentially, and with that, the traditional Web2 infrastructure will struggle to justify its higher costs and inefficiencies. We will see a rapid migration of companies to decentralized solutions, driven not only by financial incentives but also by the need for greater privacy, security, and technological innovation. As the gap between Web2 and Web3 narrows, decentralized AI compute will emerge as a vital infrastructure, offering the flexibility and scalability that centralized systems are currently failing to provide.
Conor Thacker, Head of Community at Apus Network
''Making the complicated simple! Spreading the word of Apus Network by bridging the gap between our technical operations and our community.''- Conor Thacker.
The need for decentralized (and trustless) AI is an absolute imperative. We are currently living in a time where fact and fiction can be hard to discern, and centralized AI models in many ways accentuate this issue. Having access to AI models that are immutable and verifiable will enable elements of both fairness and trust that most current AI models simply do not.
At this point the web3 industry is more on board the entire decentralization movement and understands the importance more - therefore it’s an easier product to sell. The web2 market does exist though, decentralization can enable a variety of use cases that do not require web3. Whether the world has realized they require these use cases yet or not is a different question, the majority are happy with centralized models even if they come with major risks - the world isn’t ready for full decentralization yet.
Conor foresees a large move towards the decentralization of AI compute in the coming years. Although he feels it remains a niche part of the industry, Conor expects the market share of decentralized compute to increase dramatically once trust and understanding of decentralized systems increases and the opposite begins to happen to large centralized entities. While he does not expect decentralized AI to have the majority market share of AI compute in five years, he believes it will have a significant percentage.
YJ, Co-founder and CBO at Cluster Protocol
''I have been in the web3 space since a while and have expertise to develop businesses, foster communities, and be an expert in sales. I have worked in many tier1 web3 projects including Push Protocol, Trace Network Labs, Router Labs etc and also have expertise in AI space. Before founding Cluster Protocol, I used to lead the business development team for one of the top DePIN projects.'' - YJ.
The very core advantage of having decentralized compute is that it enhances security by spreading data across multiple nodes, reducing unauthorized access and single points of failure ensuring increased reliability by continuing to function with remaining nodes if one fails.
Users and B2B businesses can scale faster and more efficiently by adding more nodes without overwhelming a central point by giving them better data control, allowing them to decide how and where to store data, ensuring transparency and accountability ultimately leading to reduced operational costs by eliminating the need for large data centers and leveraging idle resources from network participants. With Cluster Protocol’s approach towards DePIN, our PoAC (Proof of Aggregated Compute) layer is a revolutionary approach towards decentralized compute. With PoAC, we enable the whole DePIN compute ecosystem to have It is a modular layer and highly composable enabling various dePIN compute providers to share a common pool and with our ARr (Aggregated Resource recommendation) layer, users are able to take informed decisions about their compute usage.
With our experience at Cluster, onboarding web2 companies for propositions of buying raw compute, building customized AI agents, and hosting data on us is easy to a certain extent.
Some of the challenges that web2 and web3 companies have faced with us includes scalability and performance concerns, regulatory compliance hurdles, integration complexities with centralized systems, educational barriers, and ensuring security and data integrity in a decentralized environment. Additionally, cost and resource allocation, as well as standardization and interoperability issues, may also pose significant challenges.
But cluster have addressed these concerns through targeted education, technical support, and strategic partnerships will be crucial for Cluster to successfully onboard Web2 companies and drive adoption of decentralized cloud computing.
The future of decentralized AI compute holds great promise. By democratizing access to AI capabilities and fostering collaborative learning, we can unlock novel possibilities and create a more equitable AI ecosystem. Decentralized AI will revolutionize industries such as healthcare and biotechnology, enabling enhanced diagnostics, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.
Through the integration of blockchain technology and decentralized governance, we can ensure secure and transparent data handling, and provide mechanisms for sharing AI models and computational resources. This will lead to a surge in innovation and a wider array of AI applications.
Furthermore, decentralized AI will promote cross-platform interoperability, enabling seamless collaboration and data exchange between different decentralized AI systems. This will unlock synergies and foster a more connected and efficient AI ecosystem.
In conclusion, the insights shared by the experts highlight the significance of decentralized AI compute as a bridge between web2 and web3. By understanding the evolution of these technologies and embracing the transition process, we can look forward to an empowered internet experience that prioritizes user agency and innovation.
Thanks to all the experts who shared their insights. We hope you found value in it as well. See you soon in the upcoming roundups!