Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and decentralized AI infrastructure company Zero Gravity (0G) have jointly launched a S$5 million (approximately $3.8 million) research hub focused on decentralized AI technologies powered by blockchain. This landmark collaboration aims to create more transparent, secure, and verifiable AI systems, addressing concerns around the opacity of conventional “black box” AI models.
The research initiative will span four years and is designed to develop decentralized AI training techniques, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and Proof of Useful Work (PoUW) consensus mechanisms that reward contributors for computing resources and data. The goal is to build an open ecosystem where developers, institutions, and communities can participate in verification and auditing, fostering a shift toward transparent and accountable AI.
The hub expects initial proof-of-concept prototypes within two years, targeting real-world pilot applications in finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure domains. The collaboration includes workshops, hackathons, student scholarships, and open-source projects to nurture innovation and talent development.
Zero Gravity recently secured over $325 million in funding commitments and sees this partnership as a critical step in advancing global and collaborative AI infrastructure research. NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science will provide leadership in scalable training and blockchain security frameworks.
This initiative positions Singapore at the forefront of next-generation AI research, emphasizing openness, sustainability, and trustworthiness in AI development.
