IBM: Research uses Watson to combine artificial intelligence and blockchain

IBM recently announced that they are trying to combine artificial intelligence and blockchain.

The combination of blockchain's promise of frictionless value exchange and AI's ability to accelerate large-scale data analysis marks the beginning of a whole new paradigm.

For the past three months, Tim Hahn, IBM’s chief architect for Internet of Things security, has been focusing on bringing blockchain to the company’s artificial intelligence computer, Watson.

Hahn told CoinDesk:

“The blockchain and device work we’re doing now is enabling device information to have an impact on the blockchain. We’re going to be able to get to things that you’ve only seen in the movies.”

Hahn said:

“Potential applications include using distributed ledgers to allow devices to perform tasks, such as running self-diagnostics at set dates, or more advanced devices that allow regulators to travel back in time to the point in time when a device malfunctioned, in order to determine where the problem occurred.”

Tim Hahn

Watson and the Internet of Things

IBM announced in March plans to invest $3 billion over the next four years to build an entire division dedicated to the Internet of Things, in which various hardware devices are connected to each other, such as washing machines and thermostats, and the Internet.

According to a 2015 report by Gartner, the IoT industry is expected to generate $235 billion in revenue in 2016, a 22% increase over last year. The report predicts that by the end of 2016, the number of connected devices available in the IoT will reach 6.4 billion, and by 2020 this number is expected to reach 20.8 billion.

But these opportunities also come with security risks.

Hahn’s project, the Watson Internet of Things Group — a merger of the IBM Internet of Things Foundation and IBM Watson — will explore how artificial intelligence can help make these “smart” devices more secure.

Hahn said:

“We found the capabilities of IBM Watson combined with the IoT Foundation very interesting, so we thought it would be better to combine them.”

IBM breaks down the Watson Internet of Things into four categories: device connection methods; information management, storage and transfer methods; risk management methods; and data analysis methods.

Hahn’s work focuses on the third category and how blockchain can be used to enable users to use devices more securely, reducing the amount of human input into operations.

A Watson-powered blockchain

Hahn said:

“This blockchain is still in its early stages and is just a prototype.”

However, one of the features of these early models is that they allow device owners to register on the blockchain and, through smart contracts, create different levels of access to provide personalized features for different users.

User registration not only helps prevent corporate devices from being misused, it also protects users from being harmed.

In the future, devices will be registered throughout their entire “lifecycle” and the state of their firmware and software might be used to help regulators identify the exact point in time when a device failed.

Artificial intelligence software solutions can be implemented remotely using blockchain technology.

Hahn said:

"You better be ready to upgrade the device throughout its lifecycle because these devices often have some shortcomings after they are launched."

Early experiments

While IBM’s work on integrating blockchain into Watson has only just begun, the company has been experimenting with blockchain technology for some time.

In 2014, former IBM vice president Paul Brody described to CoinDesk how blockchain could power the Internet of Things.

In January 2015, IBM and Samsung jointly released a proof-of-concept called Decentralized P2P Automatic Telemetry (ADEPT), which integrates BitTorrent (file sharing), Ethereum (smart contracts) and TeleHash (P2P messaging system).

In February 2016, Hahn spoke at this year's InterConnect conference on mobile and cloud technology about how the Watson IoT platform can help various companies prevent risks.

As part of Hahn’s work to improve security by integrating blockchain with Watson, he also identified a number of other areas for improvement, including security analytics, data protection, auditing and logging.

Hahn told CoinDesk:

“I don’t think blockchain means security. Blockchain and security are indeed related, but they do not have the same functions, and there are many insecurity concerns about using blockchain.”

Original article: http://www.coindesk.com/ibm-watson-artificial-intelligence-blockchain/
By Michael del Castillo
Compiled by: Kyle
Source (translation): Babbitt Information (http://www.8btc.com/ibm-watson-ai-blockchain)