How Can Blockchain Developers Use AI?

Main Takeaways

• Artificial intelligence can help automate tedious tasks. 

• Developers can use AI in many ways, from writing blockchain code to debugging protocols.

• Learn how developers can leverage the technology to build blockchains faster and more efficiently.

Explore the relationship between artificial intelligence software and blockchain technology.

We asked an artificial intelligence bot – ChatGPT – if it could build a blockchain. Here’s what it said:

“Can ChatGPT build a blockchain? Yes, ChatGPT can build a blockchain. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that can be used to record transactions in a secure and immutable manner. ChatGPT can be used to build a blockchain-based application that can apply the principles of blockchain technology to enable secure transactions and data sharing.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that enables machines and software to mimic human intelligence. Analyzing data, solving complex problems, and making decisions are some of the things AI-powered systems can do with limited human input.

With the advancement of technology, AI bots and systems are being tested by companies worldwide, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Meta. Thanks to its enormous potential to disrupt industries, AI has become increasingly important in numerous fields, such as healthcare, automotive, finance, and, most recently, blockchain. 

Before delving into how AI can be a powerful tool for blockchain developers, let's explore two fundamental properties of blockchain that enable AI to enhance its utility.

The Relationship Between AI and Blockchain

Open-source

One of the fundamental tenets of blockchain technology is its collaborative nature. Much of the blockchain’s code and underlying protocols are publicly available and can be freely modified and distributed by anyone – or anything. AI developers can use open-source resources to improve how a blockchain works or even build a new one from scratch.

Vast amounts of data

As the industry works towards building a future, it’s no surprise that blockchain will involve more data collection and storage. Data like network configuration, device setup, traffic data, user behavior, and security logs can be helpful in creating more efficient networks and identifying patterns of vulnerability. AI can rapidly analyze this data far more efficiently than humans, drawing insights to help developers better understand the current state of their blockchain. 

Not a developer? Explore the relationship between AI and the metaverse instead.

How Can AI Simplify Work?

Data and market analysis

Before building a blockchain, developers must determine what features the blockchain should offer. To do so, they must identify user needs and demands.

Developers can use AI to mine large amounts of data from various sources, analyze data rapidly, and identify or predict trends and user needs. This saves developers time, allowing them to focus on designing the blockchain. This could include determining what features to integrate, designing a logically-sound incentive structure, deciding on the consensus mechanism, and planning the feature roadmap more strategically.

Developing smart contracts

Smart contracts are the building blocks of blockchain systems. They are lines of code running on top of the blockchain, providing the means to facilitate transactions and further use cases like wallet development.

AI bots can help developers write code to define the smart contract’s rules, logic, and operations. They can also help deploy the code efficiently to the blockchain and test the code to ensure that blockchain functions work seamlessly.

Finding errors and predicting bugs

With complex technology like blockchain, manually finding and eradicating bugs in a system can be time-consuming and expensive. AI bots can be programmed to create and run tests to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the code, debug simple errors it may find, and even monitor and record bugs in the system via data analysis.

Sophisticated AI systems could even analyze the code and simulate different scenarios to test the functionality of a blockchain or smart contract. Bugs can be predicted and potential issues fixed before the code is deployed on the blockchain, ensuring a better user experience.

It’s far more efficient to automate data analysis through AI. Bots can help developers analyze complex code for errors, potential bugs, and vulnerabilities, even when off the clock. 

Optimizing the blockchain

Once a blockchain is up and running, AI can optimize the blockchain by using machine learning to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. For instance, advanced AI software can analyze blockchain data to identify areas for improvement, such as scalability, cost-efficiency, and security. It could also improve transaction accuracy for more secure transactions and develop smart contracts to automate processes with greater accuracy and speed.

Developers can also use the technology to mine data in order to optimize code.

Other potential uses of AI

If an AI could help build a blockchain, then with the proper training from its developer, it could also assist in wallet development and the creation of decentralized apps (DApps).

Apart from smart contracts, they could also be used to create identity management solutions, automate Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and analyze data to predict fraudulent behavior on the blockchain.

Limitations of AI

With artificial intelligence promising to simplify and speed up the process of blockchain-building, what’s stopping AI developers from taking over the role of human developers? For one, AI software still largely depends on human developers for decision-making. 

While AI bots can help speed up the process of developing and refining a blockchain, they are not yet capable of making decisions or interpreting the commercial value of blockchain features. 

AI bots may become proficient coders, but they are still at a place where human developers must improve the programs via deep learning training, feeding AI tools the necessary data to refine them and determining which features to keep or develop. 

Conclusion

Developers can work more efficiently with AI during the ideation, coding, deployment, and even optimization phases of blockchain building. However, AI bots are still not fully autonomous and may not ever be.

In the near future, developers will likely use AI-powered tools and software to enhance productivity. This could lead to a shift in how developers approach their work, focusing more on conceptual design while letting AI handle the execution of the program. As AI and blockchain technology develop, the evolution of our work practices alongside these will continue to impact numerous industries. 

Further Reading

What Is ChatGPT and How Can It Help Crypto?

AI and Blockchain: Who's Listening to Your ChatGPT Conversations?

Finding Love with AI and Blockchain: How AI Can Help You This Valentine’s Day

Exploring the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse