Web3’s annual premier developer conference Devcon 7 brought together the brightest minds in decentralized tech to Bangkok, Thailand this November, and of course, Autonomys was in full force. As well as offering valuable opportunities to network with peers, share knowledge, and explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain innovation, the event provided the ideal chance for the team to co-host a series of side-events, workshops, and discussions on the future of decentralized AI.

Decentralized AI: From Research to Practice

One of the central themes at Devcon 7 was the practical implementation of AI within blockchain ecosystems. Discussions focused on how AI can enhance decentralization efforts, improve data management, and enable new functionalities within decentralized applications (dApps), among a number of other crypto x AI verticals.

Autonomys’ Head of Research Chen Feng was center stage at several side-events, moderating a panel on The Role of Decentralised Data Storage and Private Compute in DeAI featuring Optimum’s Kishori Konwar, Fluence’s Tom Trowbridge, Impossible Cloud’s Kai Wawrzinek, and Hypersphere Ventures’s Jack Platts at The Rollup Day, hosted by Zeeve and APAC DAO, and participating in another on Discovering Opportunities in the New Crypto Cycle at DeInsight 2024, organized by ChainCatcher and RootData. These events targeted Southeast Asia and East Asia’s vibrant web3 communities respectively, reflecting our goal of strengthening Autonomys’ connectivity with these regions. Autonomys’ Head of Protocol Dariia Porechna also participated in an insightful open panel on deAI at BuildCon, hosted by Alchemy, EduDAO and pool.

Key takeaways:

• Data Availability and Storage: Panelists emphasised the need for efficient solutions for data storage and access to support on-chain AI operations.
• On-Chain AI Agents: Discussions explored how AI agents can operate within decentralized networks, enabling smarter and more autonomous dApps.
• Interoperability Challenges: There is a recognition of the need for standardized protocols to ensure seamless cross-chain interaction between agents.

DeAI Workshops

Autonomys’ Head of Engineering Jeremy Frank led a workshop entitled Empowering AI Agents On-Chain: Unlocking Persistent Memory with the Autonomys Network, offering practical insights into implementing AI agents on-chain, at the dAI Developer Hub, a curated space for builders and developers to explore cutting-edge AI and web3 developments, hosted by Aethir and 0G. The workshop facilitated discussions on overcoming common challenges in decentralized AI applications, and covered:

• Auto Agent Memory: An intro to our decentralized persistence layer for AI agents, enabling permanent and verifiable storage of agent states and conversation histories.
• Technical Benefits: A discussion on data availability and fault tolerance through our distributed storage network (DSN).
• Use-Cases: Examples of how persistent memory supports long-running agent conversations and multi-agent collaboration systems.

Our team also attended several technical sessions on:

• Scalability Solutions: Strategies for handling increased network load without compromising performance.
• Agentic AI: Utilizing persistent data to better fine-tune LLMs used for on-chain agent interactions.
• Super dApp Security: Best practices for securing AI-integrated blockchain applications against potential threats.

Autonomys’ Position in deAI

Jeremy and Dariia delivered the opening speeches at the exclusive Founders & Investors Brunch, and Devcon Rooftop Hash Hour and AI + DePIN Happy Hour side-events at some of the finest venues in Bangkok. The latter, co-hosted with Halborn, featured discussions from a range of projects including Autonomys, NEAR, Beefy, Lucid, and nillion.

Our involvement in Devcon 7 reinforced our commitment to advancing the integration of AI and web3 tech through the Autonomys Network as part of the shift to AI3.0. By focusing on the development of the Auto SDK for building and deploying Autonomys Agents (Auto Agents), we aim to address key industry challenges related to data storage, agent collaboration, and verifiable on-chain interaction.

Ongoing Objectives

Devcon 7 highlighted the value of collaboration and open dialogue in addressing common challenges within the web3 community. We even more so recognize the importance of fostering an inclusive environment that encourages participation from individuals at all levels of expertise. This ongoing objective is being actioned through:

• Developer Accessibility: Enhancing the Auto SDK to simplify the creation of AI-powered decentralized applications (super dApps) and Autonomys Agents.
• Educational Resources: Developing documentation and tutorials to help builders new to AI3.0 development navigate Autonomys’ Auto SDK.
• Collaborative Partnerships: Engaging with other projects and organizations to promote interoperability and shared standards.
• Community Engagement: Building a supportive ecosystem where developers and users can contribute to and benefit from our technologies.
• Open Communication: Maintaining transparent channels for feedback and discussion with our community members.
• Event Participation: Continuing to engage in conferences and meetups to share knowledge, learn from others in the field, and grow our community.

Conclusion

Devcon 7 provided hugely meaningful insights into the current state and future direction of decentralized AI and web3 x AI. The Autonomys team gained valuable perspectives on industry trends, challenges, and opportunities, and we are dedicated to applying these learnings to enhance our offerings and contribute to the growth of the AI3.0 ecosystem.

After a successful Mainnet Phase-1 launch in November, we are now focused on accelerating network and ecosystem growth through user, developer and partner onboarding ahead of our Phase-2 launch scheduled for Q1 2025. You can expect a robust year filled with product demos and launches as well as opportunities to connect with the Autonomys team, including at Consensus Hong Kong and ETHDenver. Stay tuned!

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