Algorithmia Launches the First AI/ML Contract to Execute a Neural Network on a Blockchain

SEATTLE, Feb. 27, 2018 -- Algorithmia, creator of the world’s largest AI marketplace with over 60,000 developers utilizing more than 4,500 ML models and algorithms, announces the launch of the first AI/ML contract with a neural network running on blockchain. The contract, which can be accessed here, is to produce an AI/ML model that determines voter preferences based on their latitude and longitude. The reward is 3 ETH.

This isn’t the first time a company has offered a bounty to developers who can improve the performance of an existing algorithm. Netflix offered a $1 million bounty to anyone who could create a better movie recommendation algorithm, and Google-owned Kaggle has thousands of developers competing for bounties. After this contract, Algorithmia intends to release more contracts with progressively more difficult problems.

In conjunction with this news, Algorithmia researchers have released a paper that documents how machine learning models can be bought, sold and executed within blockchain – opening a path for machines to trade algorithms. Algorithmia’s paper detailing the so-called “DanKu” method is available here. Following is an overview:

1) Any person (or machine) can request an AI/ML model that performs a specific function, such as identifying fraud in a set of transactions;

2) the value of the contract is held in Ether in cryptographic “escrow” until the terms of the contract have been fulfilled;

3) machine learning engineers can download the sample data to train their models and then submit the models back to the blockchain;

4) machine learning models are executed and evaluated on the blockchain; and

5) the reward is paid when a suitable model is presented.

“This is the first time that a neural network has been run entirely on the blockchain,” says Besir Kurtulmus, machine learning researcher at Algorithmia. “This means that the blockchain doesn’t function only as a public ledger; it can also run the most advanced software in a completely decentralized and trustless manner. While many new blockchain technologies are taking advantage of the hot market for ICOs, Algorithmia’s DanKu protocol adds value to the existing Ethereum blockchain.”

“As machine learning adds a layer of intelligence to every application, billions of models will need to be trained, tested and updated,” says Diego Oppenheimer, founder and CEO of Algorithmia. “An open and trustless protocol like DanKu will allow companies to easily and securely acquire new models to fit their business needs, and creates an opportunity for machine learning engineers to efficiently build and deploy models.”

About Algorithmia

Algorithmia started in 2014 as a marketplace for AI/ML algorithms, functions and models and has grown to support over 60,000 developers and 4,500 algorithms, functions, and models, making it the largest AI platform in the world. Today, algorithms and models on Algorithmia include research from MIT, University of Washington, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California Berkeley, Caltech, University of Texas at Austin, University of Tokyo and University of Toronto. More information at www.algorithmia.com.

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