Why Decentralized
AI is Incomplete Without
TEEs
Why Decentralized AI is Incomplete Without TEEs
Trusted Execution Environments will help realize the full potential of
decentralized AI, a new whitepaper argues.
By Reza Jafery
Jun 28, 2024 Jun 28, 2024
6 min read
Image: Shutterstock
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As the demand for more secure and efficient artificial intelligence (AI)
computing grows, decentralized AI (DeAI) will become an increasingly vital
component of AI infrastructure.
But in order to realize its full potential, a new whitepaper argues, DeAI will
need to integrate the technology of Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs).
“As the demand for more secure and efficient AI computing grows, the role of
TEEs will become increasingly vital,” the whitepaper’s co-author Nukri
Basharuli, Founder and CEO at Super Protocol , told Decrypt . “Their ability
to seamlessly integrate with existing blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн architectures makes them
indispensable in the development of future-proof DeAI systems.”
The current AI landscape
To deliver high-quality results, AI models require reliable and private user
data. But in today’s AI community, sharing data and models creates risks—such
as compromised confidentiality and ownership rights.
DeAI promises to create a collaborative environment that limits access to
sensitive data for all participants. In its current state, though, the novel
technology comes with scalability and reliability shortcomings that limit its
potential, the whitepaper’s authors argue.
Blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн's greatest strength lies in its ability to transparently
verify transactions and smart contracts .
However, when it comes to the complex computations required for AI,
traditional methods fall short, said David Attermann, Head of Web3 & AI
Investments at M31 Capital , a global investment firm dedicated to crypto
assets and blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн technologies (M31 Capital does not hold a position in
Super Protocol). “Verifying these computations using blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн alone becomes
prohibitively expensive and impractical,” he explained, a limitation that
significantly hinders the scalability and efficiency of DeAI.
What are TEEs?
Embedded within CPUs and GPUs, TEEs provide a secure, isolated environment for
executing code and processing data. This isolation ensures that even if the
main system is compromised, the data and computations within the TEE remain
protected.
Indeed, the device you’re reading this on right now almost certainly includes
a TEE. They’re used in smartphones and computers to store sensitive
information like biometric data, and in cryptocurrency• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта hardware wallets to
store cryptographic keys.
“TEEs are a cornerstone of many secure applications today,” Basharuli said,
noting that their integration into blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн systems “can transform them from
merely 'trusted' to genuinely 'trustless,' by leveraging
cryptographic primitives and consensus mechanisms.”
He added that platforms like Super Protocol demonstrate how TEEs can be
effectively integrated with blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн technology for DeAI applications,
enabling trustless and secure AI computing by combining smart contract
governance with clusterized TEE computing capacity.
“In a trustless environment, collaboration becomes trustless,” Basharuli said.
“Everyone can trust the system to handle their assets securely and
confidentially.”
How TEEs enhance DeAI
Trusted Execution Environments bring a number of critical benefits to
decentralized AI applications, the whitepaper’s authors explained.
First off, said Attermann, “TEEs provide a level of security that is essential
for sensitive AI computations,” ensuring that data remains encrypted and
protected throughout the computation process.
By isolating sensitive data from the broader system, TEEs ensure that data
“remains confidential and secure,” in the event that the broader system is
compromised, Basharuli added.
They also enable the integrity of data and code to be maintained, preventing
unauthorized modifications. “Integrity is crucial, and TEEs maintain this by
isolating the execution environment,” said Attermann.
In addition, TEEs provide an isolated execution environment, ensuring secure
processing of sensitive operations, and enable cryptographic
attestation—verifying that the code running in the secure enclave is genuine
and untampered.
TEEs and the secure computing landscape
TEEs sit alongside a number of other secure computing technologies, including
zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE).
But, Attermann said, these technologies have limitations that make them
ill-suited for DeAI in their present state, including high cost and slow
performance.
“The combination of TEEs with blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн ensures security and confidentiality,
while simultaneously enhancing scalability and performance. This makes TEEs
the most practical and immediate solution for achieving verifiable, trustless
AI computing,” Attermann told Decrypt .
“TEEs are extremely cheap and extremely fast,” he added, “but they don't
have the sex appeal for some reason. We're trying to change that.”
Challenges and the path forward
Integrating TEEs into DeAI systems still presents some challenges. Ensuring
that TEEs are used correctly and consistently across decentralized networks
requires robust governance and oversight, the whitepaper argues, while
fostering industry-wide acceptance and understanding of TEE technology is
crucial.
Super Protocol and other pioneers in the field are actively addressing these
challenges, Basharuli said. By demonstrating the practical benefits of TEEs in
real-world applications and collaborating with industry leaders like Nvidia,
they are paving the way for broader adoption. He added that “confidentiality
is essential for secure collaboration in AI, and cryptocurrency• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта incentivizes
collaborating parties, thereby accelerating adoption.”
AI collaboration reimagined
TEEs provide the security, confidentiality, and verifiability necessary for
DeAI to fully realize its potential, the whitepaper argues. “By integrating
TEEs with blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн, we can move beyond "trusted" systems to genuinely
"trustless" environments, ensuring that the future of AI is decentralized,
secure, and scalable,” Basharuli said.
For developers eager to start experimenting with DeAI, the Super Protocol AI
Marketplace is live now. You can use it to collaborate on AI models and
applications in a confidential, zero-disclosure computing environment, using
everyone’s solutions, storage, data, or compute power.
⚡️Guess what? We've got some pretty cool news!
⏱By the end of this summer, in partnership with @nvidia , @intel , and
@0xPolygon we will launch a public marketplace.
ð¡But it's not just any marketplace. It's one for self-sovereign,
verifiable confidential AI agents, all… pic.twitter.com/6Md9HHN0ed
— Super Protocol (@super__protocol) May 16, 2024
Soon, developers will also be able to monetize their AI agents and
applications on the Super AI Marketplace through transparent blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
instruments that split revenue among all contributors. They’re also using
stablecoins for payments and payouts as part of a wider effort to make it
easier for Web2 developers to onboard themselves into the ecosystem.
“Building a hub for confidential AI collaboration requires solving the chicken
and egg problem of supply and demand—meaning that users should bring useful
datasets and models before they start developing AI products”, Basharuli told
Decrypt . Super Protocol’s solution is to offer a comprehensive
incentivization programme to attract models, data and users to the AI
marketplace in exchange for its token-based rewards.
To learn more about Super Protocol, visit the website , Twitter• Объект организация » Организации по алфавиту » Организации на Tw » Twitter, Inc. and LinkedIn .
For more information about M31 Capital, visit the website , Twitter• Объект организация » Организации по алфавиту » Организации на Tw » Twitter, Inc. , LinkedIn
and Substack .
Sponsored post by M31 Capital
Learn More about partnering with Decrypt.
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