NEAR Protocol Unveils Groundbreaking AI Project in Bangkok
During its recent Redacted conference in Bangkok, NEAR Protocol introduced its latest groundbreaking project: the creation of the largest open-source AI model ever designed. With its 1.4 trillion parameters, this model will surpass Meta’s Llama model, currently the largest open-source model, by 3.5 times. This ambitious project relies on global collaborative research, involving thousands of contributors ready to enhance and perfect the tool through the NEAR AI Research Hub.
A Global Collaboration and a Progressive Access
The development of this model will be done through collective contributions, a first in the field of AI at this scale. Participants can engage through the NEAR AI Research Hub, starting with training on a smaller model with 500 million parameters. This strategy aims to encourage more developers and researchers to participate, while ensuring gradual and transparent development.
An Innovative and Secure Economic Model
Funding a project of this magnitude requires substantial resources, and NEAR Protocol seems to have found a clever solution. Through a token sales system, the protocol intends to meet the training and computational power needs, estimated at $160 million. This mechanism not only covers the costs but also provides compensation for token holders through the inferences generated by the model.
Security and data protection are also prioritized. NEAR Protocol will use trusted execution environments (TEEs) to ensure the confidentiality of contributions and users. A reward system incentivizes participants to continue innovating and reinvesting in the project, creating a virtuous circle that fuels the ongoing growth of the technology.
NEAR AI Assistant: A Glimpse of Future Applications
Alongside the announcement of the 1.4 trillion parameter model, NEAR Protocol also introduced an AI assistant that showcases the possibilities offered by its infrastructure. During the presentation, co-founder Illia Polosukhin used this assistant to create a memecoin, design a website, and search for custom t-shirt printers in a matter of seconds.
While the assistant is still in its early stages, NEAR has grand visions for its future versions, including functions like flight reservations, meal orders, and interaction with web2 services via the blockchain. This vision bridges the gap between traditional web services and decentralized technology.
Promising Inter-Chain Technology
One of the assistant’s notable innovations is its chain abstraction technology, which allows users to transfer assets across multiple blockchains – Bitcoin, Ethereum, and NEAR Protocol – through a simple transaction signature. Although the platform is still in beta with limited trading capabilities, the promises for the future of decentralized finance are significant.
