How is iExec empowering AI?

iExec
iExec
Published in
4 min readMar 3, 2023

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As ChatGPT is on everyone’s lips, there has been a new interest in iExec’s offer for the AI industry. Here, we’ll outline some unique AI monetization services iExec makes possible, take a look at partnerships with industry leaders, and discuss AI applications already using computing power through iExec.

Artificial Intelligence is now becoming commonplace across various industries, whether it is for automation, optimization, or deep data analysis. However, there are still barriers to its deployment, particularly around trust. The iExec blockchain-based marketplace empowers decentralized applications with computational resources and has a lot to offer to the field of Artificial Intelligence, which relies heavily on processing large amounts of confidential data and has massive computing demands.

Over the past five years, iExec has been helping push AI forward. By leveraging the benefits of Blockchain and Confidential Computing - and partnering with industry leaders — iExec offers multiple innovative solutions for actors in the industry.

A New Way to Monetize Valuable AI Assets Securely

Thanks to its infrastructure leveraging blockchain and confidential computing, iExec solves issues of trust and traceability relating to tasks performed by AI, while maintaining data confidentiality. The iExec solution simplifies compliance with regulations such as GDPR and enables data usage without anonymization.

Owners of trained AI models can monetize with iExec

iExec enables Owners of valuable AI assets to be able to monetize them, while maintaining ownership and preserving the confidentiality of these assets.

Let’s take the example of an owner of a trained AI model — an excellent example of valuable datasets that can be monetized through the iExec. AI models are highly valuable as their training requires time, money, and huge amounts of data. Through iExec, thanks to blockchain and confidential computing (Intel SGX), these can be run on anyone’s machine, without the key admin of the machine ever being able to access to code — even while it runs on their own machine. This presents a unique opportunity for owners of trained AI models is present, who could charge a fee each time the model is run on the users’ machine. During this, ownership of the model is preserved.

Sensitive data processed through iExec, ready to be used in AI

Not only can AI solution providers monetize their AI models while preserving intellectual property rights, but data owners, like companies that have collected customers’ data (often confidential or sensitive), can integrate AI providers’ solutions without needing to disclose or reveal the data. iExec’s infrastructure allows for this sensitive data to be put to use for AI purposes across a range of industries from healthcare to fintech to cyber-security.

iExec is a Member of Intel’s AI Builder Program

iExec is a member of Intel’s AI Builder Program. iExec’s offer for renting out AI models is listed in Intel’s AI solutions catalog. The Intel AI Builder program is an enterprise ecosystem of ISVs, SIs, OEMs, and end-users that work to accelerate the adoption of AI on Intel platforms. iExec and Intel have been collaborating for the past 3 and a half years, primarily focused on Intel SGX hardware enclaves, to develop the privacy-preserving infrastructure that we know today. Joint work between iExec and Intel goes back as far as 2018, since building the first end-to-end secured confidential computing & blockchain solution.

iExec has received recognition as a leader in trusted computing with blockchain and has several collaborations including being head of the Trusted Compute Working group within the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance.

People Horizon — using iExec to power an AI-based application

In the following section, we will explore real-world use cases for KnowledgeX and its project ‘People Horizon’.

Some of you may already be familiar with KnowledgeX, the platform that connects data owners and data science specialists, that iExec supported through EU (ONTOCHAIN) and iExec grants. The platform offers a marketplace for data owners to find specialized data scientists for their needs, ensuring data privacy and trust through the use of trusted execution environments and blockchain technologies.

People Horizon is an AI-based project developed by KnowledgeX. It offers data-driven insights to predict which employees may leave the company, how their engagement is changing, and which potential hires are more likely to stay long-term. People Horizon leverages iExec’s confidential computing technology to provide privacy-preserving data analysis. This ensures that data privacy is maintained while still providing accurate and valuable insights to the company.

According to a study conducted for the Boston Consulting Group, 90% of executives believe that AI represents a business opportunity for their company. The iExec value proposition represents a huge potential for this future.

Thanks for reading!

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