Introduction to Decentralized AI and its Potential for Global Development
Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is omnipresent, influencing various aspects of our lives, from enhancing productivity in the workplace to resolving emotionally charged personal matters. However, despite its innovative benefits, AI’s current centralized architecture lacks the capability to have a tangible impact in the most disadvantaged parts of the world. The United Nations Development Program has been tirelessly working towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, aiming to eradicate poverty, advance climate action, and support equitable growth.
The Limitations of Centralized AI
The current centralized nature of AI reinforces existing power imbalances and hinders its potential for good in the Global South. The inherent biases, deprivation of data sovereignty from communities, and lack of transparency play a significant role in this issue. Centralized models are predominantly based on data drawn from a handful of developed regions, excluding regions in the Global South. This results in inadequate training, leading to systematic misidentification, denial of essential services, and increased socio-economic inequalities, posing a threat to SDG 10.
These systems also require the aggregation of highly sensitive local data on remote corporate servers, which are vulnerable to hacker attacks due to their centralization. This practice deprives governments and institutions of their right to data sovereignty, jeopardizing SDG 16, and compromises the security of data collected outside local servers. The “black box” nature of centralized AI systems makes audit decisions and allocation of responsibilities extremely difficult and ethically unacceptable for demanding and developmental work.
Decentralized AI: A Viable Alternative
Decentralized AI, powered by federated learning and blockchain technology, offers an inclusive, secure, and transparent alternative. The SDG Blockchain Accelerator program, led by the UNDP and supported by partners such as Blockchain for Good Alliance, Stellar, FLock.io, and EMURGO Labs, advances decentralized AI initiatives that empower communities in the Global South. Federated learning works by training shared models on multiple decentralized devices while maintaining local data, supporting efficient and equitable disbursements to climate-vulnerable farmers and women-led businesses.
The operations supported by federated learning are complemented by blockchain technology, which replaces a single corporate intermediary with an immutable and transparent governance system. This creates an infrastructure for collaboration and restores the necessary accountability mechanisms. Decentralized AI is being used to facilitate transparent distribution of payments and aid, eliminate payment disparities for local businesses, and strengthen economic growth and trust in public institutions, supporting SDG 8 and SDG 10.
Real-World Applications of Decentralized AI
Other applications of decentralized technology to support the SDGs include the development of a blockchain-based NFT to support mountain gorilla conservation and securing hospital records in Africa, giving patients autonomy to grant or revoke access to their medical records. These initiatives meet SDG 15 and SDG 3, demonstrating the potential of decentralized AI to drive positive change.
As a technology, AI has enormous potential, but its fundamental challenge lies in governance. The centralized, proprietary model undermines the principles of inclusion, sovereignty, and accountability enshrined in the UNDP’s SDGs. However, current efforts show that there is a viable, ethical, and scalable alternative.
A Call to Action: Prioritizing Decentralized AI Infrastructures
The challenge for the global development community is to prioritize funding the adoption of open, decentralized AI infrastructures over enterprise tools that hinder development. It’s time to shift our mindset from passive consumers to stewards of intelligence that drives a sustainable future for the most disadvantaged parts of the world. By embracing decentralized AI, we can unlock its true potential and create a more inclusive, secure, and transparent world.
Jiahao Sun, the founder and CEO of FLock.io, is an Oxford alumnus and expert in AI and blockchain. He previously served as Director of AI at the Royal Bank of Canada and as an AI Research Fellow at Imperial College London. Through his leadership, FLock.io is pioneering the advancement of secure, collaborative AI model training and delivery, demonstrating its commitment to using technology for societal progress.
Learn more about the potential of decentralized AI for global development at https://crypto.news/decentralized-ai-will-be-the-key-to-global-development/
