Preface

Blockchain (BC) and artificial intelligence (AI) are currently two of the hottest computer science topics and their future seems bright. However, their convergence is not straightforward and more research is needed in both fields. Thus, this book presents some of the latest advances in the convergence of BC and AI, gives useful guidelines for future researchers on how BC can help AI and how AI can become smarter, thanks to the use of BC.

Specifically, Chapter 1 introduces the basics of the convergence of BC and AI and indicates the main opportunities and challenges of such a convergence.

Chapter 2 reviews the history of Bitcoin (the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency) and its influence on the market and on society. Thus, this chapter reviews the past with the objective of understanding how the convergence of BC and AI can impact our future, especially in terms of privacy and democracy.

Chapter 3 deals with how BC and AI can help in the cybersecurity field. In particular, the chapter explores how BC and AI can join forces to provide solutions to protect personal data. Such solutions should allow users to control how their personal information is accessed and to know who accessed such information. AI is essential for these solutions since it can complement BC-based applications when managing data and guaranteeing that the models obtained from such data are accurate, fair, and reliable.

Chapter 4 focuses on solving the challenges of resource-constrained internetof-things (IoT) devices with mobile edge computing (MEC), which offloads part of the processing tasks from the cloud (e.g., complex learning tasks) to the edge. The chapter specifically proposes the creation of BC-enabled mobile edge intelligence in IoT scenarios. In addition, it also reviews the state of the art of the combination of BC and AI in different scenarios and analyzes the main security and privacy features of BC.

Furthermore, some of the threats to be faced by BC systems are analyzed. For example, the threat of quantum computing is considered, based on post-quantum blockchain solutions.

Metaverse, a shared virtual environment that combines augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), is introduced in Chapter 5 as an ever-expanding world where AI and BC will play a key role in the near future. The chapter describes the combination of the real and virtual worlds and the main challenges that may arise from such a combination (e.g., the reliability of the data). It proposes a BC-based metaverse using Ethereum that will enable safe and free social and economical activities and the secured application of technologies such as AI. In addition, the benefits that AI and BC can provide to the metaverse are also analyzed:

high-quality learning data, reusable data, stable decentralized network, privacy, the distinction between virtual and real information (including deepfakes and fake news), rich content, and reliable transactions and a trustworthy marketplace.
