AI is NEAR: Illia Polosukhin on AI and the Open Web at NEARCON ’23
NEAR FOUNDATION
October 26, 2023
Artificial Intelligence and Web3 have been two of the hottest topics of 2023. There has been significant interest in how the two technology ecosystems may converge in the coming years, with lots of interest from investors.

For NEARCON ‘23, we’ve designed a special track for AI and the open web: ”AI is NEAR”. Leading the way will be NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin, a pioneer in the world of AI. 

Illia will share his perspective on this past year’s AI revolution, including its intersection with the Web3 space on NEAR in the months to come. 

Attention Is All You need
By now, everyone knows ChatGPT, which kicked off the latest AI revolution. But years before OpenAI released its AI chatbot, a group of researchers published a paper that would revolutionize the fields of AI and machine learning. 

The “Attention is All You Need” paper, of which Illia is a co-author, introduced transformers — the “T” in ChatGPT. Illia’s research was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the major LLMs of today, such as ChatGPT and Bard. 

At NEARCON ‘23, Illia will draw on his deep expertise in AI to offer a perspective on how AI and Web3 will converge and how blockchains can help AI develop in a more positive direction, mitigating potential risks and introducing more transparency. He will share the strategy for AI on NEAR going forward, including evolving NEAR governance with AI agents and the emergence of new business models. 

Illia Polosukhin and TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher in a fireside chat
In this candid discussion, Illia and TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher will explore the evolving role of AI in the open web, what we can expect next, and why the current state of AI controlled by major corporations needs to change. 

As the case for open source AI becomes clearer, and as regulators across the globe mitigate risk with new policies, the question now becomes: how can Web3 help AI evolve in a more positive direction?

Join the AI and Open Web chat at NEARCON ‘23
With some of the brightest thought leaders in AI and the open web, NEARCON ‘23 is one not to be missed. Alongside Illia, you will also hear from NEAR co-founder Alex Skidanov, who is currently working on an AI startup that is building smarter large language models, or LLMs, in a more decentralized way. 

There will also be a panel discussion on how AI and blockchain technologies will integrate with modern work environments. Niraj Pant, previously an investor at Polychain who is launching a startup at the intersection of AI and Web3, will also deliver a keynote on how AI can be leveraged for decentralized applications and services.

The full NEARCON ‘23 schedule is now live, so check out the other tracks!

If you’re a student in Spain or Portugal, or a Ukrainian citizen living in Portugal, you’re eligible for free tickets. Hackers also get in for free by applying to the NEARCON IRL Hackathon. 

