GenAI and Blockchain by Joe Thuku

Introduction:

Hello and welcome to my series on Blockchain and GenAI. I'm Joe Thuku, a Software Engineer and Information Technology Student currently researching on Generative AI and Blockchain Technology. In this series I will be sharing how GenAI and Blockchain can be used together to improve data security and privacy especially in the field of AI. I will be sharing the common concepts of blockchain and GenAI and how they can be used together. I will also be sharing how the InternetComputer (ICP) can be used to build decentralized applications using GenAI and Blockchain.

In today's article, I will be sharing the common concepts of blockchain and ICP Network.

1. Blockchain

Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger that records the provenance of a digital asset. It is a chain of blocks that contain information. The blocks are linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data.

2. GenAI

GenAI stands for Generative AI which refers to AI systems that can generate new content. This content can be in the form of text, images, videos, or audio. GenAI systems are trained on large datasets and can generate content that is similar to the data they were trained on. they can be used in various applications such as content creation, art generation, and music composition.

3. InternetComputer (ICP)

Internet Computer (ICP) is a blockchain network that aims to provide a decentralized and secure platform for building and deploying smart contracts and dApps. It uses a unique consensus mechanism called Chain Key Technology to achieve scalability and security. ICP allows developers to build and deploy applications without the need for traditional cloud infrastructure such as servers and databases. Its just like AWS but decentralized. It provides a secure and tamper-proof environment for running smart contracts and dApps.

you can learn more about ICP here

4. Common concept on ICP

a. Canister

A canister is a smart contract that runs on the Internet Computer. It is a container that holds the code and state of a dApp. Canisters are deployed on the Internet Computer and can interact with other canisters and external systems. They are secure, scalable, and tamper-proof. Canisters can be used to build various applications such as DeFi, NFTs, and social media platforms.

b. Actor

An actor is a type of canister that can receive and send messages. It is an autonomous entity that can perform actions and interact with other actors and canisters. Actors are used to model real-world entities such as users, assets, and services. They can be used to build complex applications that require interaction between multiple entities.

c Smart Contract

A smart contract is a self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. The code and the agreements contained therein exist across a distributed, decentralized blockchain network. Smart contracts allow for trustless and transparent transactions between parties without the need for intermediaries.

d. Decentralized Application (dApp)

A decentralized application (dApp) is an application that runs on a decentralized network such as the Internet Computer. It is built using smart contracts and canisters. dApps are secure, scalable, and tamper-proof. They can be used to build various applications such as DeFi, NFTs, and social media platforms.

e Internet Identity

decentralized identity system that allows users to create and manage their digital identities. It is built on the Internet Computer and provides a secure and tamper-proof way to authenticate users. Internet Identity can be used to log in to dApps and interact with smart contracts.

f. ** Principal**

A principal is a unique identifier that represents an entity on the Internet Computer. It can be a user, a canister, or an actor. Principals are used to authenticate and authorize users and entities on the network. They are secure, scalable, and tamper-proof.

c. Chain Key Technology

Chain Key Technology is a consensus mechanism used by the Internet Computer to achieve scalability and security. It is based on a unique cryptographic technique that allows the network to reach consensus without the need for mining or staking. Chain Key Technology ensures that the Internet Computer is secure, decentralized, and tamper-proof. It allows developers to build and deploy applications without the need for traditional cloud infrastructure.

To understand it better le me give you an example using chama.

Lets say you and your friends have a chama and you want to keep track of all the transactions that happen in the chama. in the traditional way you would have a ledger book where you write down all the transactions that happen in the chama. This ledger book would be given to the treasurer who would keep it safe and update it whenever a transaction happens.But what if the treasurer is corrupt and decides to change the transactions in the ledger book? This would lead to disputes and mistrust among the members of the chama. Now to avoid this you decide to record and duplicate the ledger book and give a copy to each member of the chama. This way everyone has a copy of the ledger book and can verify the transactions that happen in the chama. This is similar to how blockchain works. It is a decentralized ledger that is distributed among multiple nodes. Each node has a copy of the ledger and can verify the transactions that happen on the network. This ensures that the ledger is secure, tamper-proof, and transparent. This is how blockchain ensures trust and transparency in a decentralized network.

How chain key technology works in above chama

Now lets say you want to update the ledger book with a new transaction. You would write down the transaction in the ledger book and then pass it around to all the members of the chama to verify and sign off on the transaction. Once all the members have verified and signed off on the transaction, it is considered valid and added to the ledger book. This is similar to how Chain Key Technology works. It is a consensus mechanism that ensures that all the nodes on the network agree on the state of the ledger. It uses a unique cryptographic technique to achieve consensus without the need for mining or staking. This ensures that the ledger is secure, decentralized, and tamper-proof. It allows developers to build and deploy applications on the Internet Computer without the need for traditional cloud infrastructure.

Conclusion

In this article, I have shared the common concepts of blockchain and ICP Network. I have explained how blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger that records the provenance of a digital asset. I have also explained how GenAI is a type of AI system that can generate new content. I have shared how the Internet Computer (ICP) is a blockchain network that provides a decentralized and secure platform for building and deploying smart contracts and dApps. I have explained the common concepts of ICP such as canisters, actors, smart contracts, dApps, Internet Identity, principals, and Chain Key Technology. I have also given an example of how blockchain works using a chama as an analogy. I hope you have found this article informative and useful. In the next article, I will be sharing how to build decentralized application using rust and ICP Network.

Thank you for reading!