Do Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Incorporate an Ideal Model?

Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence(AI) are the two famous fits of rage in emerging technology where blockchain has versatile advantageous applications and AI has moved ahead from the limits of performing experiments in the labs.

 

Both are deeply embedded with recent technologies, although, having dissimilar roots, both AI and Blockchain has a different variable of performances, individuals and technology, researchers are trying to explore the correlation between them.   

 

By definition, Blockchain is a shared and permanent ledger used to store encrypted data, and AI is that engine that enables an individual to analyze and make a decision from the data collected. It is worth to say that each technology has its own multiple complexities, but AI and blockchain combined together can give multiple benefits.

 

From a survey, it is found that Blockchain can make AI more understandable, consistent and logical. For example, to trace and decide why decisions are made through machine learning, Blockchain and its ledger keep records of all the data that run within a decision-making process under machine learning. Let’s discuss Blockchain more deeply. .  

 

 

Topics Covered

 

1. What is blockchain?

2. How does it work?

3. Applications of blockchain

4. Benefits of blockchain

5. Issues and limitations of blockchain

6. An ideal model of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence

 

 

What is Blockchain?

 

A blockchain is a shared and stable database that is highly secure and experienced by all the persons in a distributed thread of networks, multiple transactional data can be put up and easily reviewed.

 

Bank of England stated blockchain as “A technology that permits people who don’t know each other to have faith in a shared record of events”

 

Blockchain is a typically consistent chain of blocks where blocks are rigid structure to keep records of data which are attached to each other through a mode of the chain by using the hash. 

 

In other words, the blockchain is the public ledger where all the cryptocurrencies transactions such as bitcoin have been executed. It is in continuation to grow, each new transactional data is fed to the new block in almost every 10 seconds and block gets further added to the blockchain in linear and sequential order. The blockchain contains the complete information of addresses and balances from the very first transaction to the latest one transaction stored in a block. 

 

Blockchain acts as a list of a block in which each block consists of a number of transactions. It comprises of a decentralized, permanent data store in order to have a spreading network of users. Each transaction can be asked, providing better transparency and trust to all the people involved.   

 

 

How does it work?

 

When the new data stored in the block, the block is added to the blockchain, we have already learned that blockchain is the chain of blocks, in the sequence to attach a block in the blockchain, it works in the four following steps;

 

1. The transaction must occur,

2. The transaction must be verified,

3. The transaction must be stored in the block, and

4. The block must be given hash.

---

Pictorial representation of working procedure in blockchain 

---

Let's try to understand this with an example, suppose you want to purchase an item online from Flipkart, after clicking many products and checkout prompts, you finally make a purchase. After making a purchase, your transaction must be verified. 

 

Similarly, when you simply go to the store and make a purchase, there is someone in-charge of evaluating new data entries, in fact, this job is done by networks of computers.

 

While making a purchase on Flipkart, the same network of computers speeds up to check your transaction appeared in the form you supposed it did. At last, they confirmed the details, like, time of the transaction, the amount paid, mode of payment, etc. This complete process happens in a second. 

 

Once you are done with your transaction verification, it gets permission to move forward. The amount of transaction, your digital signature, and Flipkart digital signature all are stored together in a block and join thousands and more similar transactions of others.

 

Once all the transactions of a block get verified, it must be given a sole and recognizing code called a hash. Even, the block is also provided a hash of the latest block added to the blockchain. And, in last the block can be added to the blockchain. This is how Blockchain works.

 

 

Applications of Blockchain

 

Now we understood that a block in the blockchain store data about monetary transactions, blockchain is the secure mean of putting up data about other types of transactions, such as to store data of property exchanges, stands in the supply chain, votes for the candidates, etc. 

 

Here are some applications of blockchain; 

 

• Banking:

 

Blockchain is continuous in nature, it never sleeps. By integrating blockchain in the banking industry, the user can see his transactions being processed within 10 min or earlier, the only time is consumed in adding a block to the blockchain.

 

With the utilization of blockchain, banks have an excellent opportunity to transit funds in institutions more quickly and securely.

 

(Must check: Banking on AI)

 

• Cryptocurrency:  

 

Blockchain is found to be a solid foundation for cryptocurrency, or any kind of digital money. Under the central authority system, user data and currency are at the notion( with respect to the concerned bank and government) technically, so user money would be at risk if he or she is living under an unauthorized government.

 

Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies can help in this case, as blockchain has a spread network of computers that allows bitcoin to work without a need of central authorities. It reduces risks and processing and transaction fees.

 

• Healthcare:

 

Blockchain can securely store patients’ data and their medical records. When a medical record is generated and signed, it can be fed out in the blockchain, it gives proof and surety to patients as not to change their record.

 

Medical records are kept secured with private keys in the blockchain so no one else can use it other than an individual who has data access. 

 

(Most related: What is healthcare data analytics?)

 

• Property records:

 

​​​​​​​The process of maintaining records of property rights is heavy and inefficient, for the sake of active and dynamic working in any recorder’s office, local government employee should obtain a physical deed to enter records into the central database of country and public index.

 

Blockchain has the capacity to drop the requirement of scanning multiple documents and following various files from an office. 

 

 

Benefits of blockchain

 

Despite all the technical complexities in the blockchain, it has the potential to work in a decentralized form of keeping records of unlimited data.

 

From user privacy and high security to lower processing costs with fewer errors, blockchain technology breaks the glasses of its complexity.

 

Listed below are some benefits of blockchain;

 

1. Enhance accuracy and performance efficiency without the involvement of humankind in verification,

2. Huge reduction in costs by excluding third-party verification,

3. It is the most transparent and obvious technology,

4. All the transactions are private, secure and efficient, and

5. The process of decentralization makes it difficult to interfere with it.

 

 

Issues and limitations of blockchain

 

Undoubtedly, blockchain is coming out as world-changing technology, and somewhere it is, but it is not necessary that there are all the remedies of the cure for the world’s problems, below are enlisted limitations and issues with blockchain;

 

1. When doing bitcoin mining, significant technology costs are associated with it, blockchain also has environmental costs,

2. Records of operating and working usage in unauthorized activities,

3. The sensitivity of data for being hacked,

4. A hazardous environment gets constructed due to a lack of regularities, 

5. Speed inefficiency such as Low transactions per second, 

6. Blockchain can be slow, awkward, and unmanageable, and

7. Due to the complex structure of blockchain, end-users find it hard to appreciate the benefits. 

 

After getting the view about blockchain completely, now we are going to understand how AI and blockchain prove complementary to each other. 

 

 

An ideal model of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence 

 

From the past few years, researchers have looked at the likelihood of linking Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, both technologies have remained in isolation over the past years, but changing very quickly.

 

We find most AI applications are in progress that is being made in the field big data, one of the reasons is a huge amount of data generated by AI devices with time. 

 

You must have heard that data handling is a major topic to deal with businesses- either for commercial reasons or anything else, it is our legal and moral responsibility to shield it. So, blockchain and AI can make an imperative impact on the way of data handling and other issues to address.

---

Combining blockchain with AI

---

The data is broken into smaller parts in a blockchain and distributed across the whole computer network, there is no central authority to govern, each computer keeps a total copy of the ledger as if anyone or two computers negotiate, no data will be suffered.

 

Blockchains are the perfect ecosystems for sensitive or private data that are processed or directed with the help of AI, which can bring a better experience for users. For example, in the healthcare industry, data can be analyzed to discover, diagnose and prevent diseases. 

 

With the help of blockchain, AI can emphasize more impact in various industries, these impacts depend on both AI and Blockchain providing dynamic ways of obtaining energy, security, privacy, scalability, controlling on data regulation, etc.

 

AI demands any data or sort of information to hit the trend and promote its efficiency, performance, and accuracy by machine learning, on the other side, blockchain looks for power and energy to execute and run a network of computers more rapidly, which could perhaps possible with the combination of AI and blockchain. This shows the dependencies of both terms. Their fusion may yield beneficial consequences.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The potential of fusing AI and blockchain is high, from a news report, the US and UAE government have already led the way in terms of multiple development and research in this field. 

 

“The Blockchain Island”, Malta is a leading nation when dealing with education, research, government support, etc, all interconnected with blockchain.

 

There are many developments and advantages to explore with the combination of both AI and blockchain.