SingularityNET
SingularityNET is a project spearheaded by Ben Goertzel to accelerate the development of AGI. In its first iteration, SingularityNET is a decentralised market place for AI services. The code for SingularityNET is open source and runs on a decentralized blockchain network. Each node on the network is a service provider, usually a company owned by a human but perhaps a decentralized autonomous organization run by an AI itself. Services provided may include software development, software as a service, and AI & AGI consulting for tech firms. The infrastructure of SingularityNET is 100% decentralized, based on blockchain technology. The SingularityNET project works to help usher in a decentralized singularity, rather than a singleton scenario where one country or entity gains complete technological supremacy. The SingularityNET meshes well with Goertzel's early ideas about the global brain. According to Goertzel, the infrastructure and tokenomics of the SingularityNET ecosystem is being developed not for profit maximization but to ensure "maximization of intelligence", while being as inclusive and agnostic as possible. The tokenomics of the system is designed so as to not have any bias towards any one application vertical or any one approach to AI or AGI.[1] A certain amount of tokens are set aside for "benefit projects" that are determined by community voting to be projects which "do the most good" for humanity (ie. in healthcare, education, etc).
Goods and services on SingularityNET are purchased with "AGI" tokens. The original SingularityNET token generation event (equivalent to an ICO or IPO) raised $36 million (in ETH) and involved 4000+ investors. Demand was so high that the token sale finished in 66 seconds.[2] The development of SingularityNET is highly decentralized, just like the technology itself. The project is headquartered in offices in Hong Kong, but there are collaborators located around the world.
In July 2018, SingularityNET partnered with the MindFire Foundation, an Swiss-based initiative to develop new approaches to biologically inspired AI.[3].