In the latest development, DCG announced the launch of Yuma, a new company that supports and drives the development of Bittensor, a decentralized, open network where anyone can create, train and access AI.
Barry Silbert announced this next big project of his, a subsidiary that aims to compete with companies like Google and OpenAI in the field of artificial intelligence.
The decentralized version of AI
Yuma’s decentralized AI ambitions revolve around a blockchain project called Bittensor, which launched in 2021 and offers tokens as an incentive to get people to contribute to a network of AI services.
Bittensor is a decentralized, open-source network that allows users to contribute computing power to run various AI models. Users are incentivized to participate in the process via TAO token payouts. The network supports independent subnets that can focus computing power on certain topics.
“We created Bittensor to provide a competitive alternative to the top-down world that limits access to powerful AI capabilities. We champion open access to technology freed from conventional gatekeepers so we can ensure the AI revolution is accessible to the next generation of visionaries shaping our world,” noted Bittensor co-founder Jacob Steeves.
Led by DCG Founder and CEO Barry Silbert, Yuma provides startups and enterprises with the capital, infrastructure and technical resources needed to explore and build on Bittensor. Yuma is fully committed to a decentralized version of AI: the idea of spreading the powerful technology across a loose network of autonomous contributors rather than relying on a giant tech company to provide the service.
Silbert underscored that “much like the early days of Bitcoin, which fueled the development of a new form of transparent, borderless money, we are moving from the digital ownership of assets to the decentralized ownership of intelligence.”
Making change possible
He noted that Yuma provides startups and enterprises with access to everything they need, including capital, technical resources and operational support to implement their innovative ideas on the Bittensor network.
“By supporting world-changing projects that advance decentralized intelligence, Yuma will shift the transformative power of AI and machine learning from centralized businesses to an open and accessible resource for all people,” Silbert emphasizes.
He noted that Yuma’s focus will be on helping build a network of decentralized intelligence and computing services in the form of what Bittensor calls “subnets.” There are similar applications and Yuma currently supports about 60, while Silbert predicts there will soon be thousands.
So far, Yuma has five subnets that are live. Four underwent the accelerator program and one through incubation. Another nine are in development and should go live in the coming weeks, with one in incubation and the rest in the accelerator.