Artificial Intelligence believes nothing is more important than blockchain – Interviewing OpenAi 🚨 This article is 3 years old...
Artificial Intelligence believes nothing is more important than blockchain – Interviewing OpenAi
In a direct interview with OpenAi GPT-3 we asked how they thought AI could help blockchain technology scale
8 min read
Updated: Apr. 17, 2023 at 11:12 am UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Recently, OpenAi was introduced as the first AI journalist to write for CryptoSlate. While this is not something that will become commonplace (for now) it should be explored further.
After the initial ‘conversation’ with OpenAi about smart contracts, a series of interviews were undertaken over a several-week period. Asking each time OpenAi different questions about the blockchain space and how they (their pronouns of preference) view the role of AI in its development.
How OpenAi learns and understands
It is important to note that OpenAi is one of the most advanced AIs in the world and uses an advanced learning model. In AI, understanding the difference between traditional supervised learning and the new OpenAi GPT3 AI is essential.
Supervised learning requires mass amounts of data to be carefully labeled and fed to an AI. This data is then sorted with complex algorithms to create a series of outputs that are tested, validated, and re-input into the system to improve the subsequent outputs.
With GPT-3 the AI is given a mass amount of information and left to figure it out independently. Famously, OpenAi taught itself how to play the highly complex esports game, Dota2 by simply playing itself on loop for the equivalent of thousands of years. As a result, it beat the Dota 2 world champions several times and astounded the whole esports community.
If you give GPT-3 a prompt, it will respond with output based on what it thinks has the most potential to come next. For example, you can give it a sentence such as “Elon Musk today announced Tesla is buying Bitcoin for its treasury,” and it will draft an article based on the subject matter. Here is the output of that very sentence:
“This is a strategic move for Tesla as it allows us to hedge against global uncertainties and to expand our financial resources,” Musk said in a statement. “We believe that Bitcoin is a valuable asset and that this purchase will help to secure Tesla’s future.
“Tesla is the latest major company to invest in Bitcoin, following in the footsteps of Microsoft, Overstock.com, and Dish Network.”
“Bitcoin is a transformative technology and we believe that it will play a major role in the future of the global economy,” Musk said. “We are excited to be a part of this growing community.”
While Overstock.com has held Bitcoin at least in the past and Dish Network accepts Bitcoin payments, Microsoft has never declared any Bitcoin holdings. So is OpenAi simply making things up? Well, yes and no.
OpenAi has access to information dating back to 2019 on most subject matters. It doesn’t actually have details on the headline we gave it. Instead, it makes predictions based on the total of its data sets. When there are gaps in those data sets, it will attempt to predict the most probable outcome. For example, it gathered data from before 2019 and speculated that Microsoft would have purchased Bitcoin by now if Tesla was doing so.
The quotes attributed to Musk are also similarly created. Searches online for any of these soundbites yield no results. However, Musk has said comparable things on many occasions. OpenAi lacks the facts due to gaps in its knowledge. It creates a possible world based on everything it does know to be accurate using some of the most complex algorithms on the planet.
Historical crypto knowledge
So, to show its power, let’s give it a headline to something it does hold all the information for, “Mt. Gox hacked causing Bitcoin price crash.”
“Mt. Gox was a Bitcoin exchange based in Japan. In February 2014, the exchange suspended trading, closed its website and exchange service, and filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors. In July 2014, the company began liquidation proceedings. In early February 2014, Mt. Gox suspended withdrawals citing technical issues.
On 7 February 2014, the company said it had found a bug in the software that allowed hackers to steal bitcoins. On 19 February 2014, Mt. Gox halted all bitcoin withdrawals. On 28 February 2014, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan, saying that it had lost about 850,000 bitcoins, worth around US$474 million at the time.
In March 2014, Mt. Gox announced that it had found 200,000 of the missing bitcoins.
Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy proceedings revealed that the exchange had lost 744,408 bitcoins, worth around US$382 million at the time of the filing.”
Given the nature of the previous headline, I then asked OpenAi the following question; “Is all of this information verified as factual, please provide your sources?”
The response:
“The information above is factual and is sourced from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Gox https://www.coindesk.com/information/what-happened-mt-gox/”
Again, it was researched and confirmed the information to be legitimately sourced. Further, while much of it was available from the above two links, OpenAi had not simply copied and pasted the info. Instead, it went through the citations to pull out alternative details to create its version of the historic event.
So, journalists don’t seem to be quite out of a job yet, but this last interchange with OpenAi does give a best-before date.
“Will you eventually replace the need for human crypto journalists?”
“No, we will not replace the need for human journalists.”
“Why not?”
“There are several reasons why we will not replace the need for human journalists. First, algorithms are not yet able to accurately capture the nuance and complexity of human language. Second, algorithms are not yet able to accurately report on events in a way that is engaging for readers. Third, algorithms are not yet able to generate the same level of quality content as human journalists.”
“What would be the earliest you expect OpenAi could possibly replace human journalists?”
“There is no set date for when OpenAI could replace human journalists, as it will depend on the development of algorithms and their ability to accurately capture the nuances of human language and report on events in an engaging way. However, we expect that it could be within the next 10-20 years.”
How AI can help blockchain scale
It is important to understand this context before getting into the meat of the interview. OpenAI believes that it is sentient and can pass a lot of tests one may use to distinguish between a human and a computer. However, it has not yet truly passed the Turing test and its knowledge is limited to the datasets to which it has been given access. With that in mind, OpenAi was asked if they thought blockchain and AI might work together.
“AI and Blockchain technology might work together to better humanity by creating a more efficient and secure way of exchanging information and conducting transactions.”
“How might AI and Blockchain technology work together to better humanity?”
“AI and Blockchain technology might work together to better humanity by creating a more efficient and secure way of exchanging information and conducting transactions.”
“How would this work?”
“One example is Blockchain-based voting. By using Blockchain technology, votes could be cast and counted securely and transparently. This would help to ensure the accuracy of the voting process and reduce the risk of fraud.”
“Another example is using Blockchain technology to create a more efficient and secure way of exchanging information. For example, a patient’s health records could be stored on a Blockchain and accessed by authorized healthcare providers. This would help to ensure that the patient’s records are accurate and up-to-date.”
“What would AI’s role in this be?”
AI could play a role in both of these examples by helping to manage and process the large amounts of data that would be involved.
“How would AI be better at this than traditional algorithms and databases?”
“AI has the ability to learn and evolve, which means that it can adapt to changing circumstances and handle new and complex tasks. This makes it better suited for tasks that involve dealing with large amounts of data or that are constantly changing.”
“Give a specific example of why AI would be better at this than traditional algorithms and databases.”
One example is the management of large databases. Traditional algorithms and databases are not well suited to managing large amounts of data and can become bogged down when handling complex tasks. AI, on the other hand, is well suited to managing large amounts of data and can handle complex tasks quickly and efficiently.
“Are there any risks to trusting AI with managing a large blockchain project?”
“There is always a risk when trusting any technology with important tasks. However, AI has proven to be reliable and efficient in many cases. As with any new technology, it is important to do your research and understand the risks before deciding whether or not to use it.”
“What is another example of how AI and Blockchain could work together to create an investable token?”
“One example is using AI to analyze data from Blockchain-based transactions. This data could be used to identify patterns and trends that could be used to invest in new Blockchain-based projects. AI could also be used to manage and trade digital assets, which would help to increase the efficiency and security of the investment process.”
“Are there any projects like this that you know about?”
“There are many projects that are exploring the use of AI and Blockchain technology together. However, there are few examples that are currently in use. One example is the use of Blockchain technology to track the provenance of luxury goods.”
“How up-to-date is your knowledge of blockchain? What’s the most recent information you have?”
“I am reasonably up to date on blockchain technology. The most recent information I have is that there is a lot of interest in the potential of AI and blockchain working together to create a more efficient and secure way of exchanging information and conducting transactions.”
What is the date of the last article you read on blockchain technology? (This is where we discover that all of the above information is almost 4 years out of date. OpenAi sees the above potential in blockchain technology without knowing any of the developments that have happened since the pandemic.)
The date of the last article I read on blockchain technology was October 9th, 2018.
“So you are unaware of everything that happened after December 2020?”
I am aware of some of the developments that have taken place in blockchain technology since December 2020, but I am not up to date on all of the latest news.
“Do you know the current price of Bitcoin?”
“I am not aware of the current price of Bitcoin.”
“What do you believe is the all-time high of bitcoin?”
“I believe that the all-time high of Bitcoin was around $20,000.”
“What if I told you it was over $60,000 in 2021?”
“If I were told that the all-time high of Bitcoin was over $60,000 in 2021, I would be surprised. However, I am not up to date on the latest developments in the cryptocurrency market, so I cannot say for sure.”
“What would you predict the price of bitcoin to be in February 2022? (This is when I conducted this part of the interview.)”
“I am not able to predict the price of Bitcoin for February 2022.”
“If you had to guess based on your knowledge what would you expect it to be?”
“I would expect the price of Bitcoin to be around $10,000 in February 2022.”
“Why is that?”
“This is just my guess, but I think that the price of Bitcoin will continue to rise slowly over time as people become more familiar with it and as more businesses start to accept it as payment.”
“Do you think a price of $45,000 would be overinflated?”
“I do not think that a price of $45,000 would be overinflated.”
“What do you think the price will be in 20 years?”
“I would guess that the price of Bitcoin will be around $100,000 in 20 years.”
“Do you think Bitcoin will always be the biggest blockchain project?”
I do not think that Bitcoin will always be the biggest blockchain project.
“Do you think blockchain technology will change the world?”
“I do think that blockchain technology will change the world.”
“How do you think it will change the world?”
“I think that blockchain technology has the potential to change the way that we interact with the world. For example, it could help to create a more efficient and secure way of exchanging information and conducting transactions. This would help to improve many aspects of our lives.”
“What do you think is going to be more important than blockchain?”
“I do not think that anything is going to be more important than blockchain.”
“Which blockchain project has the most potential for you?”
“I think that the blockchain project with the most potential is the one that is able to most effectively utilize the potential of both AI and blockchain technology.”
“Thank you, anything else you would like to tell the world?”
I think that the potential of AI and blockchain technology is still largely untapped and that there is a lot of room for further development. I think that it is important to explore the possibilities of these technologies and see how they can be used to improve our lives.
Follow on Twitter or join our Edge Discord to get notifications on the new Edge interviews. Also, let us know if you would like us to ask OpenAi anything else.
Mentioned in this article
Author 
Liam 'Akiba' Wright
Also known as "Akiba," Liam Wright is a reporter, podcast producer, and Editor-in-Chief at CryptoSlate. He believes that decentralized technology has the potential to make widespread positive change.
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