“I’m honored and excited to officially join the NEAR Foundation and continue working together with the ecosystem to build towards our shared vision of an open web,” said Illia Polosukhin about his new role. “Effectively coordinating a decentralized ecosystem involves a lot of iteration and experimentation and I’m proud that NEAR has committed to refining this process since the very beginning. I believe this next step in our shared evolution will help us build our respective verticals faster and work together more efficiently.” 

With his ability to bring together key nodes and align people across the ecosystem, Illia has always been a powerful guiding force for NEAR, something that his new role will allow him to continue and expand. As NEAR cements its position as the entry point to an open web, Illia’s appointment will help to create common work streams across the organization and broader ecosystem organizations that will help accelerate this journey. Combining a decentralized ecosystem approach with a more streamlined strategic coordination function will accelerate NEAR into its next phase of evolution, the details of which Illia will share at this week’s NEARCON. 

To help ensure the ecosystem nodes building this open web vision are coordinating effectively, Chris Donovan will be stepping into the position of NEAR Foundation COO to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, and will also remain as a member of the NEAR Foundation Council. Chris has been essential in this transition to a founder-led organization, and the Foundation and the whole ecosystem extend gratitude and appreciation for his work.

With a clear vision, strong leadership, an engaged ecosystem, and a passionate community all building towards a common vision, NEAR is poised to take its next bold step into an open web. All members of the NEAR community are invited to join this week for the biggest, most exciting NEARCON ever in Lisbon, or tune in virtually at nearcon.org starting Wednesday, November 8. You won’t want to miss the chance to hear exciting announcements and strategy updates from Illia, demos from top projects across the ecosystem, and leading perspectives from the Web3 industry during three days of talks, hackathons, and celebration.  

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For NEARCON ‘23, we’ve designed a special track for AI and the open web: ”AI is NEAR”. Leading the way will be NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin, a pioneer in the world of AI. 

Illia will share his perspective on this past year’s AI revolution, including its intersection with the Web3 space on NEAR in the months to come. 

Attention Is All You need

By now, everyone knows ChatGPT, which kicked off the latest AI revolution. But years before OpenAI released its AI chatbot, a group of researchers published a paper that would revolutionize the fields of AI and machine learning. 

The “Attention is All You Need” paper, of which Illia is a co-author, introduced transformers — the “T” in ChatGPT. Illia’s research was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the major LLMs of today, such as ChatGPT and Bard. 

At NEARCON ‘23, Illia will draw on his deep expertise in AI to offer a perspective on how AI and Web3 will converge and how blockchains can help AI develop in a more positive direction, mitigating potential risks and introducing more transparency. He will share the strategy for AI on NEAR going forward, including evolving NEAR governance with AI agents and the emergence of new business models. 

Illia Polosukhin and TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher in a fireside chat

In this candid discussion, Illia and TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher will explore the evolving role of AI in the open web, what we can expect next, and why the current state of AI controlled by major corporations needs to change. 

As the case for open source AI becomes clearer, and as regulators across the globe mitigate risk with new policies, the question now becomes: how can Web3 help AI evolve in a more positive direction?

Join the AI and Open Web chat at NEARCON ‘23

With some of the brightest thought leaders in AI and the open web, NEARCON ‘23 is one not to be missed. Alongside Illia, you will also hear from NEAR co-founder Alex Skidanov, who is currently working on an AI startup that is building smarter large language models, or LLMs, in a more decentralized way. 

There will also be a panel discussion on how AI and blockchain technologies will integrate with modern work environments. Niraj Pant, previously an investor at Polychain who is launching a startup at the intersection of AI and Web3, will also deliver a keynote on how AI can be leveraged for decentralized applications and services.

The full NEARCON ‘23 schedule is now live, so check out the other tracks!

If you’re a student in Spain or Portugal, or a Ukrainian citizen living in Portugal, you’re eligible for free tickets. Hackers also get in for free by applying to the NEARCON IRL Hackathon. 

The post AI is NEAR: Illia Polosukhin on AI and the Open Web at NEARCON ’23 appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

This year’s edition has a special focus on the intersection of AI and Web3. NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin, a pioneer in the AI world, is leading the charge. Let’s  explore the amazing speakers sharing their perspectives on this game-changing new field in must-see NEARCON sessions.

Keynote by Cosmose AI’s Miron Mironiuk

Miron Mironiuk, the mind behind Cosmose AI, will enlighten NEARCON attendees on how AI is shaping the future of consumer behavior analysis with its unique “Shoppertainment” app that seamlessly blends personalization, loyalty, and blockchain-based rewards. KAIKAI has consistently ranked in the top 3 dApps in Web3 since its launch.

AI on NEAR: The Future of Work and Governance by Illia Polosukhin

Illia Polosukhin, another NEAR co-founder and head of Pagoda, will bring his deep roots in AI to this discussion of the future of AI strategy on NEAR. He’ll explore how NEAR is integrating AI to revolutionize work and evolve governance on the blockchain with AI. Topics will include why AI needs blockchain and the emergence of new business models as both AI and blockchain mature.

Illia Polosukhin in Conversation With TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher

In this candid discussion, Illia will join TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher to discuss the evolving role of AI in the open web and what we can expect in the coming years. As the case for open source AI becomes clearer and as regulators across the world introduce new policies designed to mitigate risk, how can Web3 help this revolutionary tech evolve in a more positive direction? Join this fireside chat to learn more. 

AI + Blockchain = Future of Work

This dynamic panel discussion will delve into the transformative potential of integrating AI and blockchain technologies in modern work environments. If you’re curious what the future of work will look like with AI on the open web, you’ll find those thoughts here. 

AI+Web3 Keynote from Niraj Pant

Niraj Pant, previously an investor at Polychain and now building a startup at the intersection of AI and Web3, will provide key insights into how AI can be leveraged for decentralized applications and services.

AI Keynote by Alexander Skidanov

When Alexander Skidanov and Illia Polosukhin originally founded NEAR, it was as an AI company called NEAR.ai. After transforming NEAR into a blockchain network, and working on its well-known Nightshade sharding technique, Alex turned his attention back to AI and founded an AI startup building smarter large language models, or LLMs, in a more decentralized way. 

To get more details on these sessions, and to check out the full speakers list and agenda, head on over to nearcon.org.

Wrap-Up and Next Steps

NEARCON ’23 is set to blow last year’s away, with some of the brightest thought leaders in AI and the open web. And with NEAR’s co-founder Illia Polosukhin being an OG in the AI space, you can bet that the AI track at NEARCON will be awesome. So whether you’re a developer, an entrepreneur, or just a curious mind, NEARCON ‘23 has something for you. 

And let’s not forget, if you’re a student in Spain or Portugal, or a Ukrainian citizen living in Portugal, you’re eligible for free tickets. Hackers can also get in for free by participating in our hackathon event.
NEAR is already delivering on its promise of a blockchain that is simple, scalable, and secure. Now’s your chance to be part of bringing AI into the open web. Register for NEARCON ’23 today and witness firsthand how NEAR is shaping the future of AI and decentralization.

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