The TLDR:
-The Bacalhau Project is a platform for fast, cost efficient, and secure computation that enables users to run compute jobs where the data is generated and stored.
-This is commonly being referred to as COD or “compute over data”.
-This technology is being built on top of the Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM) -for more technical insight, please read the Bacalhau docs
-The convergence of AI and cryptocurrency holds immense potential for addressing challenges in the Ai landscape and unlocking innovative opportunities.
-One of the key challenges in Ai is the shortage of GPUS, which are essential for training and querying machine learning models.
-Decentralized compute networks offer a promising solution by connecting entities with idle computing power, mitigating the GPU shortage.
To provide more background, there are two types of decentralized compute networks: general purpose (GP) and specific purpose (SP). GP networks function like decentralized clouds, while Special Purpose (SP) networks are tailored to specific use cases. Bacalhau and Lillypad are building on the Filecoin network to leverage the power of data being stored on Special Purpose networks.
Training Ai models can be computationally intensive and expensive. However, fine-tuning and inference tasks have lower resource requirements, making them suitable for distributed networks such as IPFS. SP compute networks focused on inference capabilities are gaining traction. Ensuring the integrity of compute jobs over decentralized networks is crucial. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are emerging as a solution, enabling verifiable machine learning.
Content authenticity is a significant concern in the era of generative Ai. Crypto provides a solution through cryptographic digital signatures and verifiable provenance records. Ai agents can leverage crypto infrastructure rails for payments and access to digital resources. This includes utilizing crypto payment rails and decentralized protocols for storage, compute, and bandwidth. “DePINs” as they are being referred to, can enable direct access at lower costs. DePIN, stands for “Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks”, is a rising use case with real-world exposure. It utilizes tokens (and in this case, Filecoin $FIL) to bootstrap the deployment of physical infrastructure, then creates a network effect that unlocks the novel design space of real-world-based DApps. By utilizing the technology that Bacalhau and Lillypad is developing, Ai models can be verified off-chain and their intelligence incorporated into smart contracts using Filecoin’s Virtual Machine (FVM). This opens up exciting possibilities in decentralized finance, gaming, social platforms and more. Listen to the twitter space with @developerAlly where she discusses how artists can be rewarded for their art that is trained on Ai through Bacalhau and Lillypad.
