Conference
Tech of Tomorrow conference focuses on the intersection of blockchain, AI, and the Internet of Things, with a strong focus on practical, real-world applications. It consists of in-depth case studies, live demos, hands-on workshops, and engaging discussions.
I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion: “Securing the Future: Enhancing Data Integrity, Security, and Transparency in the age of Blockchain, AI, and IoT innovation.”
During this panel, we explored the challenges and solutions for securing data in interconnected systems, focusing on IoT, edge computing, and system integration. We discussed whether blockchain can help foster a secure data exchange, and what needs to happen to accelerate the development of open and secure data ecosystems.
Speakers
- Marek Marczuk, Associate Partner, AI & Blockchain Lead Deloitte CEE
- Łukasz Malinowski, IoT Advisor and Developer (Thingrex.com)
- Michał Moneta, Chief Strategy Officer at Onchain Foundation
- Piotr Rutkowski, Policy Adviser DLT/Blockchain at Polish Ministry of Digitization
My take on this subject
IoT devices operate in untrusted environments, managed by untrusted users, and exchange data over untrusted networks.
Blockchain provides the trust layer that unlocks the full potential of the data economy between IoT devices.
The value proposition is to monetize the massive data flows generated by IoT devices.
Key enablers for the data economy are the three D’s: Device Identity, Data Integrity, and Data Exchange:
- Device Identity: Securely identifying and authenticating IoT devices.
- Data Integrity: Ensuring that IoT data remains unaltered and trustworthy.
- Data Exchange: Enabling secure and transparent data exchange between devices and systems.
All of the above can be achieved by leveraging blockchain technology.
Blockchain takes the existing Public Key Infrastructure to the next level.
Public Key Infrastructure enables secure communication and transactions between parties (for example, IoT devices and backend systems).
I’ve been using this approach to design and build secure IoT deployments for many years.
Unfortunately, PKI uses a centralized trust model.
Blockchain also utilizes the concept of Public and Private Keys, but it provides a decentralized and distributed ledger to manage digital identities. That eliminates the need for a central authority governed by a single entity.
IoT devices generate tons of data, including standard telemetry and status reporting. Depending on the business use case, we must decide what to record on-chain.
For example, if we monitor transport conditions of medical products, recording temperature on the blockchain might be critical for a compliance perspective. For smart-home applications, the temperature is not that critical for storing it on the blockchain.
Another interesting use case is managing microtransactions between devices. Blockchain is a great tool for keeping track of value exchange in distributed environments.
In short, I suggest storing mission-critical data on-chain and everything else off-chain.
Edge AI is a very popular topic nowadays as it offers significant value from a privacy perspective. Additionally, it is a more cost-effective solution than executing AI in the cloud.
Secure Edge computing utilizes local processing without storing any sensitive data or sending it to the backend system.
IoT enables interesting use cases leveraging AI and blockchain. To deliver business value, we need to establish trust in distributed systems - blockchain is a great solution for that. AI excels in extracting value from data and often provides the business context for IoT deployments.
Summary
Tech of Tomorrow was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in obtaining business value by leveraging modern technology. Speakers on technical and business stages shared real-life examples of IoT/AI/blockchain implementations, focusing on hands-on experience while avoiding meaningless buzzwords. I hope to see you there next year!