The future of artificial intelligence is being redefined by community-led innovation, democratizing access to AI and empowering individuals through decentralized development.
We are entering a new epoch where the ability to use and work with artificial and synthetic intelligence is a human right. Access to intelligence – the prerogative to innovate, work with, and benefit from higher levels of synthetic intelligence – belongs to the people.
The Rise of Decentralized AI
Building on increasingly inexpensive compute, abundant data, and low-cost, open-source models, we are about to witness a synthetic intelligence cornucopia. We have to build infrastructure that supports pluralistic development of AI. That’s why we’re starting The Thames Network, based at Oxford: a decentralized intelligent network to run at the edge, enabling private, censorship-resistant, depoliticized, and decentralized AI through built-in economic incentives and cryptographic proofs.
Decentralizing AI: A Fundamental Change in Empowerment
The movement towards decentralization is more than a technical upgrade. It represents a fundamental change in how we empower individuals. That means fostering AI systems geared toward collaboration, driving innovation while safeguarding against the pitfalls of centralized control, says Richard Sutton, widely recognized as the ‘father of reinforcement learning.’ ‘Reinforcement learning, rather than large language models, holds the key to advancing AI,’ he has said.
Decentralization is a concept that refers to the distribution of power, control, and decision-making across multiple entities.
In contrast to centralized systems, where authority is concentrated in one entity, decentralized systems promote autonomy and self-governance among participants.
This approach can be seen in blockchain technology, peer-to-peer networks, and open-source software development.
Decentralization aims to increase resilience, security, and transparency by reducing reliance on single points of failure.
Democratizing Access to AI
The Thames Network democratizes access to AI with the first open-source decentralized AI marketplace, protocol, and incentive layer. Universal Basic Income – where citizens are offered recurring payments to subsidize their life – is touted by AI oligarchs, and especially ‘Elon Musk,’ as necessary. This is not a people-first approach; this is a corporate-first approach, and one that will eat away at the fabric of society. The better approach is to democratize access to AI, and to enable autonomy and sovereignty for the individual.
Depoliticizing AI: A Key to Human-AI Collaboration
For artificial and synthetic intelligence to benefit humanity, it is imperative that it be free of bias and be apolitical, without an implicit (or explicit) agenda. Censorship, guardrails, and access limitations based on jurisdiction, price, and other factors are not the way to create a future where humans and AI can collaborate effectively.
A Future of Accessible, Transparent, and Secure AI
The convergence of decentralized computing, blockchain tools and governance, crypto incentive protocols and mechanisms, and domain-specific AI models built and curated by human experts, points to a future where artificial and synthetic intelligence become accessible, transparent, secure, abundant and collaborative. The Thames Network, which we’re announcing at the Oxford AI x Blockchain conference today, envisions a win-win world for humans and AI. Anything else would be an abdication of responsibility for us as technologists, engineers, researchers and economists.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to revolutionize various aspects of life in the future.
According to a report by Gartner, 'AI will create 2.3 million new jobs by 2025, while also automating 1.8 million roles.'
The use of AI in healthcare is anticipated to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.
Additionally, AI-powered chatbots are expected to become increasingly prevalent in customer service.
As AI technology advances, it is likely to have a significant impact on the global economy and society as a whole.
The Mission of The Thames Network
‘We are all seeing the digital world take over our world through the internet, the collection and sharing of data and the current rise of AI,’ says Bill Roscoe, Director of the Oxford Blockchain Research Centre. ‘The world really needs an altruistic development of the rules of digital civilization and an infrastructure to support and govern it in a truly collective way.’ The Thames Network’s mission is to ensure that privacy and collective governance remain at the forefront of technological evolution.
Bill Roscoe is a British computer scientist and academic, known for his work on the formal semantics of programming languages.
He is a professor at the University of Edinburgh and has made significant contributions to the field of computer science.
Roscoe's research focuses on the development of mathematical models for concurrent systems, enabling more efficient and reliable software design.
His work has been widely cited and has had a lasting impact on the field.
