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CAN YOU LEARN BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN MALAYSIA?

Yogi Nelson

Namaste Yogis.   Welcome to the Blockchain & AI Forum, where your blockchain and artificial intelligence technology questions are answered!   Here no question is too mundane.  As a bonus, a proverb is also included.  Today’s question was submitted by Ying in Thailand, and she wants to know if she can learn blockchain technology in Malaysia.

Ying, you came to the right place.  Your question shows you are aware that blockchain technology is spreading throughout the world.  The answer is yes, you can learn blockchain technology in Malaysia.  Let’s look at a Malaysian blockchain program and see what they offer.  We begin with the program name.

The name is not particularly creative, but it gets the point across—The Malaysia Blockchain Academy.  Simple and straight forward.  Their physical presence is in their capital, Kuala Lumpur.  A beautiful city, and worth a visit.  I hope to be there later this year.

The academy offers seven on-line courses and one in-person.  I’ll start by talking about the in-person course, named Certified Blockchain Technologist.  According to the Academy, this is an instructor led course designed for anyone who wants to understand blockchain technology.   The course offers to teach blockchain technology using real world examples, case studies and use cases.  By the end of the course you will create your own blockchain and wallet!  If you pass the final and complete a class project, you will earn a certificate that is recognized across the global.  Holy high tech, Batman.  Now an overview of their seven on-line courses.

The Academy does not explicitly indicate the order in which courses should be taken in, nevertheless I will suggest a sequence, beginning with Introduction to Hyperledger Blockchain.  What is Hyperledger Blockchain?  Hyperledger is an open source permissioned blockchain framework designed for global enterprises who want to have advanced privacy controls in place. It was started by The Linux Foundation and now backed by IBM, Intel and SAP Ariba.  What else is available?

Next, I suggest Blockchain Platforms and Framework as that course offers a deep understanding of the technology, with a particular emphasis on IBM technology. Who knows, maybe land a job with IBM?  After you finish those three classes, students are ready for courses four and five, both of which are practical and hands.

I suggest Create a Blockchain Network as the fourth course and Create an App Using Blockchain as the fifth.  These two courses are designed to teach students how to apply the lessons not just theoretical understanding.  That’s awesome, right?  Let’s cover the last three courses.

On to course six, Introduction to Polkadot technology.  I find this offering particularly useful.  Polkadot is a layer one blockchain with a world-wide reach.  Develop an expertise in Polkadot and you are immediately employable or even better create your own company!  Two more courses remain.

Checking in at number seven is a class focused on Fin-Tech.  Fin-Tech is an abbreviation for Financial Technology. Stop and consider all the technology associated with finance and banking and then visualize yourself at the center of that technology.  That is the point of the Fin-Tech class. 

We conclude with a crypto-currency course.  Unfortunately, the common narrative is that blockchain and crypto currency are one and the same.  They are not.  Crypto currency is just one of numerous blockchain applications.  Take this course and understand the technology behind crypto.

Time to go, but first a proverb from Malaysia, where they say:  A tiger dies leaving its stripes, a person dies leaving their name.

Until next time,

Yogi Nelson

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DID THE WHITE HOUSE CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SAFETY AND SECURITY BOARD?

Yogi Nelson

Namaste Yogis.   Welcome to the Blockchain & AI Forum, where your blockchain and artificial intelligence technology questions are answered!   Here no question is too mundane.  As a bonus, a proverb is also included.  Today’s question, comes from Lynn in Florida and she wants to know if the White House created an artificial intelligence safety and security board?

Lynn, you came to the right place.  The answer is yes, the White House did establish an artificial intelligence safety and security board.  Let’s spend the next three minutes examining this situation, including the who, what, why.  We begin with a bit of background.

Last October, President Biden issued an executive order (14110) which directed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an advisory board that would support the development and management of AI technologies responsibly.  Note, establishing advising boards in Washington is common to the point where there are extensive federal regulations that must be followed, including public notices.  The executive order directed the DHS Secretary to establish the advisory board within 180 days.  DHS made it under the wire Batman! On to the purpose of the Board. 

The purpose includes, but is not limited to, information about emergent risks, threat mitigation guidance, and guardrails for critical infrastructure owners’ and operators’ use of AI, says the Federal Register notice posted on April 29th.  The notice also says, the Board will provide DHS information, advice, and recommendations to advance the security and resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure in its use of artificial intelligence. Interestingly, the Board has been exempted from the Federal Advisory Committee Act, “…in recognition of the sensitive nature of the subject matter involved.”  Holy government secrets Batman! A word about the Board organization.

Although up to 35 members are permitted, DHS elected to appoint only 22 members.  The Board will meet quarterly. Senior Advisor to the President for Science and Technology, Arati Prabhakar, will function as principal staff.  Although no mention of where the Board will meet, mostly likely and logical, is DHS headquarters. 

Who are the 22 Board members?

  • Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI;
  • Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder, Anthropic;
  • Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines;
  • Rumman Chowdhury, Ph.D., CEO, Humane Intelligence;
  • Alexandra Reeve Givens, President and CEO, Center for Democracy and Technology
  • Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, Washington; Chair, Technology and Innovation Committee, United States Conference of Mayors;
  • Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law;
  • Vicki Hollub, President and CEO, Occidental Petroleum;
  • Jensen Huang, President and CEO, NVIDIA;
  • Arvind Krishna, Chair and CEO, IBM;
  • Fei-Fei Li, Ph.D., co-director, Stanford Human-centered Artificial Intelligence Institute;
  • Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland;
  • Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft;
  • Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO, Adobe;
  • Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet;
  • Arati Prabhakar, Ph.D., Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; and Director, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy;
  • Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco; and Chair, Business Roundtable;
  • Adam Selipsky, CEO, Amazon Web Services;
  • Lisa Su, Chair and CEO, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD);
  • Nicol Turner Lee, Ph.D., Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution;
  • Kathy Warden, Chair, CEO and President, Northrop Grumman; and
  • Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Do you see is the intermingling of government and corporate America?  For what purpose, you decide.  I guess we won’t know because the meetings are secret. 

Time to go, but first a proverb from Portugal: To a person who understands half a word is enough.

Until next time,

Yogi Nelson

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WHAT IS THE AI DIVIDE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO BRIDGE IT?

Yogi Nelson

Namaste Yogis.   Welcome to the Blockchain & AI Forum, where your blockchain and artificial intelligence technology questions are answered!   Here no question is too mundane.  As a bonus, a proverb is also included.  Today’s question, was submitted by Alfredo and he wants to know what is the AI divide and what can be done to bridge it?

Alfredo, you came to the right place.  Alfredo if you believe history repeats itself you won’t be surprised by an AI divide.  The adoption of new technology follows a well-established pattern, and it goes like this–people and societies with the most resources adopt new technologies first and the rest follow behind.  Initial buyers of automobiles, televisions, telephones, and internet at home were people with resources and access. Adoption and use of AI is following a similar trajectory.  Fortunately, at least one university president, Adela Dela Torre, of San Diego State University (SD State U) has noticed and demands action before the divide turns into a canyon.  Let’s examine what DelaTorre wrote on April 4, on Inside Higher Ed.

She begins with a simple declarative sentence—leaders in higher education must take decisive actions to prevent AI from further exacerbating inequality.  According to DeLaTorre, Amazon Web Services says that 73% of employers report prioritizing hiring talent with AI skills.  Given the direction and obvious impact AI will have on the future workforce, why 27% would not prioritize AI skills is unexplainable!  Holy head in the sand, Batman! Moreover, employers are willing to offer higher salaries (up to 50%) for graduates with AI skills.  What do students say?

Students agree AI will impact their future careers.  In a survey of 8,000 students, 71% expect using AI will be an essential part of their job.  However, the survey revealed noticeable differences that are explainable by access to technology and socio-economic background.   

For example, students with plenty of access to technology (measured by the quantities of smart devices owned) viewed AI positively, less intimidating, or complex.  The same is not true for students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, first -generation, low-income, and those coming from under-represented communities.  These students reported a lower use of AI tools, were significantly less comfortable using or understanding AI tools, and see AI less favorably.  The result–an AI divide. 

Will time solve the AI divide?  According to DelaTorre the trend is not a friend.  She says the trend is toward pricey commodification. DelaTorre correctly notes, many AI tools are free today–emphasis today.  However, according to the U.K. non-profit, Jisc, access to a full suite of the most popular AI tools costs nearly $1,300 per year and that is beyond the financial reach of many on the wrong side of the AI divide.

DelaTorre concludes with a call to action by recommending greater partnerships for AI affordability and access between universities and AI companies.  Her second recommendation calls for universities to embrace data-driven discussions and decision-making regarding AI.  Her third point is to enhance training and responsible use of AI.  She concludes with suggesting development of comprehensive AI strategies. 

Given the history of technology adoption and the survey results, the AI divide is legitimate and Dela Torre’s recommendations are on target.  As an AI community, we should acknowledge reality and support those working to bridge the AI, not dismiss their warnings.

Time to go, but first a proverb from the Dominican Republic, where they say:  Don’t be like the shadow: a constant companion, yet not a comrade. 

Until next time,

Yogi Nelson

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ChatGPT VERSUS BARD, WHO WINS THE FIGHT?

Yogi Nelson

Namaste Yogis. Welcome to the Blockchain & AI Forum, where your technology questions are answered, mostly correct! Here no question is too mundane. As a bonus, a proverb is also included. Today’s question, comes from Ming (Netherlands) and he wants to know who wins in a fight, ChatGPT or Bard?

Ming, you are in the right place. As implied in your question, and acknowledged by both parties, ChatGPT and Bard are direct competitors. Let’s put these pugilists into the ring and give each an identical test to determine the peoples’ champ. Holy AI boxing match, Batman! We commence by identifying the warriors, starting with ChatGPT.

In the blue corner is ChatGPT, a product of OpenAI. OpenAI is a California based software company developing artificial intelligence. OpenAI describes ChatGPT as a language model designed to understand and generate human like text based on the input it receives. ChatGPT is now in version 4 and uses GPT3.5 as its underlying technology.

In the red corner is Bard, a product of Google, and Google needs no introduction. Bard is a conversational AI tool that uses Gemini as its underlying technology. Bard allows users to interact with and use chat-like dialogues to ask questions, receive information, and complete tasks.

The warriors are in the ring and ready to rumble! Let’s ask five questions across a range of topics:

  1. Can you write a 300-word essay describing the four voyages of Christopher Columbus?
  2. Please give me five Chinese recipes for tofu.
  3. Why did the USA boycott the 1980 Olympics in Moscow?
  4. Can you write a 300-word essay describing the Federal Reserve Banking system?
  5. Explain the physics in aviation that facilitates flight in 300 words.

Round 1: ChatGPT wins by technical disqualification. Although both answered the question fundamentally correct, Bard did not follow instructions. I asked for a 300-word answer. Bard used 370 and ChatGPT 292.

Round 2: ChatGPT wins by technical disqualification because Bard failed to follow instructions. I asked for five recipes; Bard provided four. However, Bard did land punches. For example, it added pictures of every final dish; ChatGPT did not. That’s a big plus. ChatGPT gave me the name of the dishes in Chinese characters; Bard did not. However, given I don’t understand Chinese written characters including them was not value added.

Round 3: Bard wins by adding additional links to the story and including an explanation of what happen after the 1980 boycott. Bard offered links to U.S. State Department documents, a photo, and noted the Soviet Union retaliated in 1984 when it and its allies boycotted the Olympic games held in the USA. Impressive!

Round 4: Bard wins. Great answers were given by both competitors, however, Bard wins the round in a close decision. Bard wins, not due to substance; it wins on style points. Essentially, Bard presented the answer in a format that was superior. Bard made ample use of bullet points and subsections with titles thus making it easier for the reader to follow-along.

After four rounds we are tied. The tension mounts! The winner of round five takes home the championship belt! Hold on to your keyboard!

Round 5: In dramatic fashion ChatGPT takes round five and the title! Although Bard’s format was easier to read, ChatGPT wins using substance. ChatGPT cited two authoritative sources of information and that made the difference.

Ming, I hope you enjoyed the battle of the bots. Today’s proverb comes from Netherlands, where they say, He’s standing there with his mouth full of teeth. (He is speechless).

Until next time,

Yogi Nelson

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WHAT DID VITALIK BUTERIN RECENTLY SAY ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Yogi Nelson

Namaste Yogis. Welcome to the Blockchain & AI Forum, where questions are answered, mostly correct! Here no question is too mundane. As a bonus, a proverb is also included. Today’s question comes from Art in San Francisco, CA. Art asks what does Vitalik Buterin think of artificial intelligence?

Art, you came to the right place. Before I explain Vitalik’s thoughts, let’s know Buterin first. Vitalik is a 29-year-old Russian Canadian computer programmer and a co-founder of Ethereum. Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain network, known for pioneering smart contracts, among other advancements in computation. From an early age Vitalik demonstrated an amazing ability to grasp mathematics and computer science. That’s not a surprise given his father was a computer scientist. Holy, like father, like son, Batman! Given his genius with computers, it makes sense you would ask what Vitalik makes of AI.

On November 23, Vitalik published his “My Techno Optimism” paper.
https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2023/11/27/techno_optimism.html?ref=bankless.ghost.io Vitalik’s summary perspective is below followed by highlights from across the major points of his paper.

“I believe in a future that is vastly brighter than the present thanks to radically transformative technology, and I believe in humans and humanity. I reject the mentality that the best we should try to do is to keep the world roughly the same as today but with less greed and more public healthcare. However, I think that not just magnitude but also direction matters. There are certain types of technology that much more reliably make the world better than other types of technology. There are certain types of technology that could, if developed, mitigate the negative impacts of other types of technology. The world over-indexes on some directions of tech development, and under-indexes on others. We need active human intention to choose the directions that we want, as the formula of “maximize profit” will not arrive at them automatically.”

Vitalik Buterin, My Techno-Optisium

Buterin argues there are very high costs to delaying technological progress. He cites life expectancy improvements and the internet, as evidence for not holding back technological advancements. Vitalik makes the case for using advancements in AI to solve environmental challenges, including climate change.

Vitalik believes AI is fundamentally different from previous advancements in technology and therefore requires significantly more consideration. Vitalik says AI is the creation of a new and powerful brain whereas previous inventions were contraptions. “AI is a new type of mind that is rapidly gaining in intelligence, and it stands a serious chance of overtaking humans’ mental faculties and becoming the new apex species on the planet”, says Buterin. Vitalik cites scientists that are worried AI could wipe out humanity! Holy doomsday, Batman!

Buterin, is equally concerned with “digital authoritarianism”. Vitalik points out Open AI, with a mere 500 employees, services 100,000,000 customers with immensely powerful machines! Power could be centralized by just a handful of people one day, is Vitalik’s worry.

Vitalik pens a lengthy narrative regarding the e/acc movement. According to Vitalik, e/acc is “… fundamentally about an appreciation of the truly massive benefits of technological progress, and a desire to accelerate this trend to bring those benefits sooner.” Jeff Bezos is the most prominent advocate. In a point-by-point fashion, Buterin shares what he believes are the implications of e/acc across a range of topics, including: military technology, decentralized governance, cyber security, multi-planetary living, world government, to name a few topics.

We conclude today with this proverb from the Dominican Republic: With patience and calm, a donkey can climb a palm tree. Well said my Caribbean brethren!

Until next time,

Yogi Nelson