This might be a really really reallllly stupid question...

[coinchase]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

[wolverine.ks]

oohh. I hope so.  ai all over the place.  put ai in my toaster and my tv and my car and my liver.  I want to Jane a conversation with my kidneys.

[torba]

Sure it can be an AI but the question is what are you going to do AI that sentiently cobbles together random numbers and letters?

[keatonatron]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

No.

However, you could make the bitcoin software take and send instructions using the blockchain. That would allow all the computers around the world running bitcoin to communicate or even work towards one goal.

Of course it would have to be rolled out in a major release which is heavily scrutinized by the community, so any capabilities that could be used for evil wouldn't be allowed.

[coinerd]

Interesting, it would be possible to store it there, but since the block chain doesn't execute in any way it couldn't really "live" there.

I have had some interesting thoughts about some related topics though. That's a lot of data, and just as they say every possible series of numbers could eventually be found in the calculation of pi, it seems that there might be tons of things accidentally "in the block chain".

And a few goodies on purpose

[moltenmich]

And a few goodies on purpose

What kind of goodies?!

[coinchase]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

No.

However, you could make the bitcoin software take and send instructions using the blockchain. That would allow all the computers around the world running bitcoin to communicate or even work towards one goal.

Of course it would have to be rolled out in a major release which is heavily scrutinized by the community, so any capabilities that could be used for evil wouldn't be allowed.

So if the bitcoin community agreed, they could update btc so that all computers currently mining bitcoin spend some of the computational power towards the development of a benevolent AI? It seems possible to me on some level considering the amount of computational power dedicated to bitcoin is now greater than what? The top 10 supercomputers combined?

It's also already in a structure closer to a human brain right? A decentralized network? Of course this is decades away, but if the right people started developing basic ideas under the assumption that bitcoin would adopt the change, they would be years ahead of anyone developing software meant to be run on a single supercomputer, right?

[coinerd]

And a few goodies on purpose

What kind of goodies?!

A couple of in-jokes, a smattering of personal messages, a poem, i think - and some ascii art.  Also recently some hubbub about someone encoding a few nasty URLs in there.

So if the bitcoin community agreed, they could update btc so that all computers currently mining bitcoin spend some of the computational power towards the development of a benevolent AI? It seems possible to me on some level considering the amount of computational power dedicated to bitcoin is now greater than what? The top 10 supercomputers combined?

It's also already in a structure closer to a human brain right? A decentralized network? Of course this is decades away, but if the right people started developing basic ideas under the assumption that bitcoin would adopt the change, they would be years ahead of anyone developing software meant to be run on a single supercomputer, right?

Just from sci-fi based speculation and whatnot, I'm going to say the advantage here is with the so called "supercomputers".  I say so-called because most of those are clusters now.

So, what's the advantage to a cluster in a single building over a cluster spread globally, if the computing power advantage is 10x to the global cluster?

Latency. Just my thought.  A network like this is good for iterative tasks.  Not very good for random processing activities and unable to even work a real queue without some form of centralization.

Perhaps it could "live" in a supercomputer cluster, and use the larger global network for augmented capacity and offloading appropriate tasks.

At least, that's how it usually goes (in the sci-fi). After that, it's us or them so I'm not sure how hard you want to try 

[justusranvier]

The subject line is a lie - the question was neither superlatively stupid nor ironically insightful.



Morbo is disappointed.

[coinchase]

Perhaps it could "live" in a supercomputer cluster, and use the larger global network for augmented capacity and offloading appropriate tasks.

At least, that's how it usually goes (in the sci-fi). After that, it's us or them so I'm not sure how hard you want to try 

I am in no way capable of even trying to help with a project like that lol. But, what you are saying makes sense. The bitcoin network might be slower, but at the same time, creating the ai within the bitcoin network means the ai would have no 1  owner. I would prefer an ai that has reached a level of sophistication where it has become self aware, to be created under the terms that it is not under direct control of any one entity. This is because an ai that is self aware will be an incredible asset to humanity so long as it is put to good use and not for a certain groups personal gains.

This is all crazy sci fi spec but yeah, not really looking for a skynet scenario either. But if the ai can make it's own choices, might be best to start off on the right foot and have it associated with a network meant to help out everyone and not just specific interests. 

[coinchase]

(sorry Morbo)

[keatonatron]

So, what's the advantage to a cluster in a single building over a cluster spread globally, if the computing power advantage is 10x to the global cluster?

Latency. Just my thought.  A network like this is good for iterative tasks.  Not very good for random processing activities and unable to even work a real queue without some form of centralization.

I was thinking more of the biggest DDoS attack the world has ever seen.

That's about the most organized you could really get with it.

But something like that falls under the "evil" purposes I mentioned so it would never be implemented.

[Nancarrow]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

Are you high?

On a related note, it's great to be able to buy weed with Bitcoins over the net, but what if you could actually SEND WEED OVER THE BLOCKCHAIN?! Whoa, man. Like. Whoa.

[Vod]

It seems possible to me on some level considering the amount of computational power dedicated to bitcoin is now greater than what? The top 10 supercomputers combined?

Top 500 combined.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/23/technology/enterprise/bitcoin-supercomputers/index.html

[coinchase]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

Are you high?

On a related note, it's great to be able to buy weed with Bitcoins over the net, but what if you could actually SEND WEED OVER THE BLOCKCHAIN?! Whoa, man. Like. Whoa.

Lol. Nope.

There are already groups trying to create coins that essentially "rent out" the computing power of the network. Why not dedicate the computing power to something huge? Yeah it's a sci-fi wet dream that probably won't ever happen, but a man can dream.

[keatonatron]

But could it be theoretically possible to build an ai within the blockchain?

Are you high?

On a related note, it's great to be able to buy weed with Bitcoins over the net, but what if you could actually SEND WEED OVER THE BLOCKCHAIN?! Whoa, man. Like. Whoa.

Lol. Nope.

There are already groups trying to create coins that essentially "rent out" the computing power of the network. Why not dedicate the computing power to something huge? Yeah it's a sci-fi wet dream that probably won't ever happen, but a man can dream.

It's not too crazy. Put up a password hash you want to hack, and let the bitcoin network brute-force it for you! Whoever figures it out gets the coins 

I can only really think of dubious uses for this It seems like it would only really work with tasks that use many computers to work on one single, small piece of data. Things like SETI (from what I understand) require each computer to receive a unique problem and need a centralized server to coordinate it all. Sending out a unique problem for every computer on the network, to every computer on the network through the blockchain would be extremely inefficient...