Decentralized AI: Edge Intelligence and Smart Blockchain, Metaverse, Web3, and DeSci

TLDR

Decentralization is increasingly recognized in management, governance, and economics, contrasting with the historically dominant centralization in science, society, and economy. This article reviews decentralized AI and edge intelligence, mapping their concepts, research issues, and technical opportunities, and evaluates their potential to advance blockchain, Web3, metaverse, and decentralized science. The authors describe the complementarity between centralized and decentralized AI and outline how decentralized AI and edge intelligence can be applied to smart blockchain, Web3, metaverse, and decentralized science.

Abstract

Centralization has dominated classic scientific, social, and economic developments. Decentralization has also received increasing attention in management, decision, governance, and economics, despite its incomparability in AI. Going beyond centralized and distributed AI, this article reviews and delineates the conceptual map, research issues, and technical opportunities of decentralized AI and edge intelligence. The complementarity and metasynthesis between centralized and decentralized AI are also elaborated. We further assess where decentralized AI and edge intelligence can enable and promote smart blockchain, Web3, metaverse and decentralized science disciplinarily, technically, practically, and more broadly.