NEAR AI: Building the most powerful open source AI platform for users
At the end of 2017, an AI paper titled "NLP & AI Revolution" caused a stir in the academic world. This paper was a significant moment as 4 of the 6 authors went on to start AI-related companies, with one of them being Illia, the founder of NEAR AI. The journey of NEAR AI began with a vision to make research breakthroughs in program synthesis and launch revolutionary products driven by this technology.
Origins of NEAR AI
NEAR was originally established as "Near.ai" with the goal of training models through computer science students globally and achieving program synthesis. The founders, Illia Polosukhin and Alexander Skidanov, brought their expertise in artificial intelligence to create a platform that aimed to be at the forefront of user-owned artificial intelligence.
Over the years, NEAR evolved from focusing on artificial intelligence to developing a Layer 1 blockchain with scalable solutions for microtransactions and user-friendly experiences. Despite the market's shift in positioning, NEAR continued to enhance its infrastructure and build an ecosystem of scalable blockchains and application builders.
NEAR's Vision for Artificial Intelligence
NEAR believes in the power of user-owned AI and aims to offer developers and users a decentralized alternative to centralized AI control. By leveraging Web3 technology, NEAR envisions maximizing the benefits of AI for humanity while mitigating the risks associated with centralized AI.
NEAR's strategic approach involves promoting the development of the Web3 AI ecosystem through initiatives such as incubators, accelerators, investments, and open-source AI research centers. By fostering community-driven AI development methods, NEAR strives to achieve a shared vision where the benefits of AI are accessible to all.
NEAR AI Ecosystem Development
To support the growth of the AI ecosystem, NEAR launched the NEAR AI x HZN incubator and established an investment department and research lab focused on AI projects. Selected projects receive benefits such as technical support, funding opportunities, and access to NEAR's network of AI experts.
Furthermore, NEAR collaborated with Delphi Labs to introduce a joint AI accelerator program, providing selected teams with mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities. This strategic partnership aims to accelerate projects at the intersection of AI and Web3.
Advancements in AI Technology
NEAR introduced Near AI Assistant, a chatbot-like assistant designed to facilitate crypto operations and assist non-technical users in executing tasks related to cryptocurrency. Additionally, NEAR released the Assistant API toolkit to enable users to build, measure, and deploy AI agents for specific applications.
The NEAR AI Research Hub serves as a hub for open-source AI tools, datasets, and models, fostering collaboration and innovation in the AI space. Through competitions and benchmarking tools, NEAR encourages the development of state-of-the-art AI models and continuous optimization.
Rewarding Contributions in the AI Community
NEAR recognizes the value of contributions from the community and is working on establishing a reward and copyright distribution system for competitions and model use. In NEAR's vision of user-owned AI, every contribution is valued, whether through code contributions, knowledge sharing, or documentation improvement.
As NEAR continues to innovate and expand in the AI domain, it aims to be the platform of choice for decentralized AI development, fostering a collaborative and rewarding ecosystem for all users.
