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Study Says Blockchain Could Help Fight AI Misinformation
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Two Master of Accountancy students from the UO Lundquist College of Business are shaking up the academic publishing world with a new paper on a hot topic: artificial intelligence and blockchain.
Jordan Brewer and Dhru Patel are interested in the intersection of accounting technology and how blockchain could help address some of the more problematic aspects of artificial intelligence.
THE item “Addressing the challenges of generative technologies: proposing the integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain”, is scheduled for publication in the journal Business horizons and co-authored the book with Alex Murray, associate professor of management and advisor to the Oregon Blockchain Group student association, and Dennie Kim of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
It is relatively rare for even doctoral students to co-publish research papers with a tutor teacher, and it is almost unheard of for master’s level students to publish, let alone on the first try and without revisions being requested.
In fact, the article was fast-tracked for publication because it addresses the modern issue of the spread of misinformation, including deepfake videos, images and texts, Murray said.
In their paper, Dhru, Brewer, Murray, and Kim propose a solution focused on accountability and transparency involving blockchain, the online ledger system used for cryptocurrencies and other transactions. Specifically, the authors describe how integrating blockchain ledgers into AI addresses several of its current challenges, including “hallucinations” related to bias and hate speech.
The solution they propose would help ensure factual information and responsibility to help prevent abuse.
“In the absence of meaningful AI regulation, we suggest ways in which blockchain-based technology infrastructure can mitigate the harmful effects of AI,” Murray said.
In other words, integrating blockchain technology into AI increases trust and accountability while maintaining the privacy of people’s data, Patel explained.
Brewer and Patel are members of the Oregon Blockchain Group, which was created to educate and empower people about blockchain and other cutting-edge technologies. Patel is an executive advisor and Brewer is a venture capital director.
Both are on track to graduate in June, with jobs lined up at public accounting firms. Jordan is headed to Morgan Stanley in New York, and Dhru will join PWC in San Francisco.
Patel said he has been involved in the technology for a while. He was particularly interested in how blockchain integration could positively change the cultural aspect of AI technology that is changing the world.
Brewer said the project only heightened his interest in the subject.
“I plan to continue writing and keep these topics at the forefront of the accounting industry,” he said. “I’m interested in how research can move toward improving human productivity rather than replacing it, and how we can make gains in our production as a society. Maybe the United States could make enough GDP to erase our debt. If anything can increase productivity to that level, I think it will be artificial intelligence.”
The next step for the Lundquist College team is more research, following up on what they learned from the current project. Patel said the research raised several questions that could be explored further.
One of the topics they want to delve into is how AI tools are being used and influenced by major industry players, while the public is still struggling to find balance in the rapidly evolving world of AI.
“Collective organizing could overwhelm corporations,” Patel said. “We’re looking at creating incentive structures around that.”
Murray finally said that AI has the power to restructure the ways people interact as a society, for better or worse. “Through a techno-deterministic lens, we’re not going to love the results, given the way technology has advanced so far,” Murray said. “Left on the current path, without the transparency, auditability, and decentralization of Blockchain—AI will likely be used for automation and surveillance, especially by unscrupulous governments and organizations.”
More information:
Jordan Brewer et al, Addressing the challenges of generative technologies: proposing the integration of artificial intelligence and blockchain, Business horizons (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2024.04.011
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University of Oregon
Citation: Study Says Blockchain Could Help Combat AI Misinformation (2024, July 19) retrieved July 20, 2024 from https://techxplore.com/news/2024-07-blockchain-combat-ai-misinformation.html
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