Can Blockchain benefit Spatial Computing & AI?

As AI moves beyond language to understand the real world, can blockchain help protect our privacy?

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Note: I have made this blog available as a podcast, thanks to Google's NotebookLM - if you would rather listen to this via a conversational AI, you can find it available here.

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Can Blockchain benefit Spatial Computing & AI?

This week, The Verge published a story  about two Harvard students who developed a proof-of-concept showing how smart glasses, using readily available technology, can quickly identify individuals' personal information. As we use more technology that mixes digital information with the real world, AI is beginning to understand not just language but space itself, and that changes everything we thought we knew about privacy.

As we use more technology like smart glasses that mix digital information with the real world, there's a greater risk of people's private information being used wrongly. According to a company called Auki Labs, technology called Blockchain can help. Blockchain creates a record of how data is used that can't be changed and is visible to everyone. This can protect private information from being seen by people who shouldn't have access, and also help people trust computer systems that use their information.

Auki Labs is aiming to build a system where AR, AI, and blockchain work together to ensure data privacy and security. By leveraging networks that are not controlled by a central company, Auki Labs plans to empower individuals with control over their personal information, allowing users to choose what data to share, when, and with whom. By building privacy directly into these devices, we can pave the way for a future where new tech and our privacy can exist together, ensuring that advancements in technology do not come at the expense of our privacy.

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Quick Overview

Auki Labs which has a vision for a future where spatial computing and AI devices prioritise local data storage:

One day, we will offload the computing needed to the closest available computer, reducing the need to carry the computer with us at all times.

The primary goal of Auki Labs is to empower individuals and communities by building a network of spatial information that is accessible, transparent, and collaborative.

Key concepts

• Decentralisation: They prioritise decentralisation to ensure that data ownership and control remains in the hands of individuals and communities.

• Spatial computing: Auki Labs believes that spatial computing is teaching machines how to understand the physical world - they focus on AR currently as a way to create immersive experiences in the physical world.

• Privacy and data ownership: They emphasise the importance of protecting user privacy and ensuring that individuals have control over their data.

• Community-driven: Auki Labs aims to foster a collaborative community that contributes to the development and growth of their network.

Whilst I have been working with XR technologies since 2011, I am not familiar with blockchain jargon, so it took me a while to actually understand the concepts. I cannot point to one resource that really helped everything resonate, but I read through the information that Auki laid out in its white paper, on its website and watched different videos with the CEO Nils Pihl.

In this blog I want to dive into the concepts in a bit more detail and outline the why, the how and the what they are doing.

Why Privacy in Spatial Computing Matters

Cameras on devices mean that computer vision is analysing our houses - what happens with this data is anyones guess, but Auki Labs is trying to change this

Auki is acutely aware of the rise of AI and spatial computing, and they are concerned about what it means for personal data. Its website states:

Making the world machine-readable is a prerequisite for the AI revolution, but it is fraught with challenges and danger. No organization should be allowed to capture and monitor our private spaces.

It is a fact: major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Meta are leveraging AR/VR/MR and wider smart devices to gather spatial data about our world to enhance their AI capabilities. This raises privacy concerns, especially as these devices become more prevalent - where is the data stored, and how is it being used?

That’s why Auki Labs believes decentralised systems like blockchain could restore visibility and control over who sees what.

How Blockchain Fits Into the Picture

At its core, Blockchain is about putting two fingers up at the banking system

Auki Labs' mission is to empower individuals and communities through a decentralised approach to spatial computing. This is where it begins to draw parallels with Blockchain because at its very core, Blockchain is about decentralising data (in this case, financial data).

Recognising the importance of data ownership and privacy, Auki Labs is ambitiously positioning itself as a solution for individuals concerned about the security of their personal information. Auki Labs is aiming to foster transparency, collaboration, and innovation through the process of decentralising 'spatial' data.

Side note: it feels like Auki Labs' focus on encouraging people to act on their concerns about data ownership and privacy has parallels with Marx's idea of the workers' revolution, but applied to the digital world.

What the Posemesh Is Trying to Build

If the Posemesh works, it could offer a new model for how devices share data without giving it away.

The Posemesh, as defined by Auki Labs

This is the interesting part. Auki is building something they call the Posemesh:

The posemesh is a decentralized network that lets you contribute to AI’s understanding of the world while retaining the ownership of your data.

Imagine a network of devices that can work together to understand their surroundings. This is essentially what the Posemesh is. Just like how our eyes and ears help us understand the world around us, the Posemesh allows devices to "see" and "hear" their environment.

Key Points:

• Collaboration: Devices in the Posemesh share information and work together to create a shared understanding of their physical environment.

• Privacy: The Posemesh ensures privacy by keeping data exchanges within specific groups (domain clusters) and using encryption.

• Rewards: Participants in the Posemesh can earn rewards for contributing data or performing tasks.

• Reputation: To participate fully, devices need to have a good reputation within the network.

In simpler terms, the Posemesh is a platform that helps devices collaborate to understand their surroundings, while prioritising privacy and rewarding contributions.

But, what does this mean?

This diagram is targeting people with existing knowledge of the concepts, however it's difficult to find anything that really explains this to the layperson

Auki Labs is developing a blockchain-based rewards and reputation system for the Posemesh to ensure it operates as a public utility, not a corporate entity.

To use the Posemesh for services like creating or accessing spatial data, you need to spend AUKI token. As more people use the Posemesh, like in any shares based system, the total supply of AUKI tokens decreases, which can make each token more valuable.

Here's a breakdown in simpler terms:

Total Supply:

• They started with 10 billion $AUKI tokens.

• Over time, as people use the network, the total number of tokens will decrease.

Initial Distribution:

• Some tokens were sold early to raise money (like a pre-order).

• Some tokens are reserved for specific purposes like marketing and development.

• A portion of tokens is held by a group called the "Posemesh Foundation" that will be gradually released over 7 years.

• The Auki Labs team gets some tokens for their work on the network, released over 4 years.

• Some tokens are given to advisors (like consultants) in exchange for their help.

Vesting Schedule:

• "Vesting" means that tokens are gradually released over time, not all at once.

• Some early buyers and advisors won't be able to access all their tokens immediately.

Finding More Information:

• You can find more technical details about the tokens online.

• The "circulating supply" is the number of tokens currently available for use, which is less than the total supply because some are locked up.

So, Can Blockchain Really Help?

The vision of a decentralized spatial computing network is ambitious but achievable. By focusing on empowering individuals and communities, addressing privacy concerns, and building a collaborative ecosystem, it is possible to create a future where technology enhances our understanding of the world and benefits everyone. While large corporations pose significant challenges, the potential rewards of decentralization make it a worthwhile pursuit.

Personally, I think Auki Labs' solution is too technical for most people. Blockchain's complexity will scare off a lot of potential users. To succeed, they need to make it easier for people to understand and use. Right now, their message only appeals to those who already know a lot about blockchain. If they don't simplify things, I think they'll be unable to reach their full potential.

Spatial computing and AI can learn a lot from blockchain, but its ideas need to be simpler if they’re ever going to reach mainstream adoption.

So, can blockchain help? Possibly, but only if its complexity doesn’t make privacy protection harder than privacy invasion.

What This Meant in Practice

After diving into Auki’s vision, I realised the real question isn’t whether blockchain can protect privacy, it’s whether users will understand and trust it enough to care. The gap between technical possibility and human adoption is where the real product challenge lies.

Spatial Computing and AI can learn from Blockchain, but Blockchain concepts need to be simplified if the lessons they can teach are expected to gain wider adoption.

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If you’re curious about how emerging tech like AI, AR, and blockchain can translate from concept to real-world use, let’s talk. I analyse where new ideas meet human behaviour. Reach out at [info@crwburgess.com].