NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity have launched a $3.84 million research center to advance decentralized blockchain-based artificial intelligence.
Advancing decentralized AI technology
Singaporean higher education institution Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has partnered with Zero Gravity (0G) to establish a US$3.84 million (S$5 million) joint research center aimed at advancing blockchain-based artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The collaboration, reportedly 0G’s first with a university worldwide, is expected to fund projects exploring decentralized AI training, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and proof-of-useful-work consensus mechanisms.
According to a press release, the initiative aims to create open, transparent AI systems, distinct from proprietary models controlled by private companies. This strategy is intended to increase accountability and public trust in AI applications. The launch of the partnership comes nearly a year after 0G raised more than $325 million in committed funding, including a $40 million seed round led by Hack VC, with participation from Delphi Ventures, OKX Ventures, Samsung Next and Animoca Brands.
The hub was officially launched by Michael Heinrich, CEO and co-founder of 0G, and Louis Phee, vice president of NTU.
“Open and trustworthy AI depends on a foundation that is decentralized and accountable,” said Phee. “NTU has built world-class expertise in blockchain systems, cryptography and computing. By working with 0G, we aim to design an innovative, next-generation AI stack that enables global participation and transparency for all.”
For his part, Heinrich highlighted the company’s mission: “Our goal is to make AI a public good. By working with NTU, we are going beyond centralized AI monopolies and building an open ecosystem where developers, institutions and communities can contribute, verify and audit.”
The collaboration will be jointly led by Professor Wen Yonggang, NTU Associate Provost and Ming Wu, 0G Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Their teams will focus on decentralized computing architectures and secure AI marketplaces that reward contributors for data and computing resources.
The four-year initiative also includes workshops, hackathons, trade shows and open source projects to cultivate the next wave of decentralized AI talent in Asia. Early proof-of-concepts are expected within two years, with pilot applications in finance, healthcare and smart infrastructure.
NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science and its Center in Computational Technologies for Finance (CCTF) will provide research leadership in scalable model training, AI governance and blockchain-based security frameworks.
Frequently asked questions 💡
- What is the NTU-Zero Gravity Partnership? It is a $3.84 million joint research center in Singapore that advances blockchain-based AI technologies.
- Why is this collaboration important? It marks 0G’s first university partnership globally and positions Singapore as a decentralized AI hub.
- What will the hub focus on? Projects include decentralized AI training, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and proof-of-useful-work systems.
- How will Singapore benefit from this? The initiative will nurture local talent through workshops, fairs and pilot applications in the areas of finance, healthcare and smart infrastructure.