Forget What You Know About Proof of Work. This is Useful Proof of Work.
Written by
The Qubic Team
Nov 5, 2024
In blockchain, Proof of Work (PoW) has traditionally been the foundation for security and transaction validation. But PoW has a major drawback: it requires miners to solve complex puzzles, consuming massive amounts of energy with no purpose beyond maintaining the network. This approach has raised concerns about environmental impact and inefficiency.
Qubic is changing that with its Useful Proof of Work (UPoW) model. While PoW expends energy on arbitrary calculations, Qubic’s UPoW channels mining power into training artificial intelligence (AI), ultimately building toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Every computational effort in UPoW has a practical purpose. This post will explore what makes UPoW different - and why it matters.
The Shortcomings of Traditional Proof of Work
Traditional PoW uses computational power for cryptographic puzzles, or hash puzzles, that validate transactions and secure the network. However, this process is energy-intensive and serves no purpose beyond blockchain security. Bitcoin’s PoW network, for example, consumes as much energy as some small countries. This has led to widespread criticism of PoW systems for their environmental impact and inefficiency.
Enter Useful Proof of Work
Qubic’s Useful Proof of Work (uPoW) redefines mining by giving it a practical purpose, specifically drawing on CPU-based processing for AI training. In uPoW, miners perform tasks directly relevant to AI development, moving away from arbitrary puzzle-solving. This shift aligns with recent industry trends, like Microsoft’s move to focus on CPUs for AI workloads - a validation of Qubic’s CPU-based approach.
Computational Tasks on CPUs: In UPoW, mining relies on CPU-based processing, which is well-suited for the types of operations AI training requires. Qubic’s choice to prioritise CPUs rather than GPUs maximises efficiency, and makes AI training more accessible and scalable.
Decentralised: Instead of a single entity controlling AI development, Qubic’s UPoW distributes the workload across a global network of miners. This decentralised approach offers the scalability needed for high-performance AI development.
Validation and Rewards: Qubic’s network, via its Computors, verifies that miners are performing legitimate AI training tasks, ensuring alignment with AI objectives. Miners are rewarded for meaningful contributions, keeping the network productive.
Aigarth: Energy into Intelligence
The ultimate goal of Qubic’s UPoW is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), achieved through the Aigarth initiative. Developing AGI demands enormous computational resources - far beyond what centralised systems can currently sustainably handle. Traditional, centralised AI models rely on massive data centres controlled by a single entity, which concentrates power, limits accessibility, and requires significant energy and financial resources.
Qubic’s decentralised approach offers an alternative. By distributing AI training tasks across its global network of miners, Qubic taps into vast computational resources without relying on centralised infrastructure. This decentralisation enables the network to scale, with each miner contributing to AGI’s development. It also democratises access, allowing community-driven growth and eliminating the risk of one company or government controlling the AI’s direction and outcomes.
In Qubic’s model, AGI is a shared resource, built by network participants and, ultimately, for everyone.
Why Useful Proof of Work Matters
UPoW offers multiple advantages over traditional PoW:
Sustainable Energy Use: Unlike traditional PoW, which expends energy on arbitrary puzzles, Qubic’s miners channel computational power into AI training, aligning blockchain technology with real-world utility.
Decentralised AI Ownership:Instead of concentrating AI power within a single corporation, Qubic’s model enables miners to collectively train and support the development of AGI, making it a shared resource accessible to everyone.
Scalable AI Training: By distributing AI training across its network, Qubic achieves a level of scalability that centralised AI systems struggle to match.
Forget Traditional Proof of Work - This is Qubic’s Useful Proof of Work
Qubic’s Useful Proof of Work reimagines PoW, giving mining a purpose and transforming energy into intelligence. Through UPoW, Qubic serves as a high-performance blockchain that supports decentralised initiatives like Aigarth, merging advanced blockchain functionality with AI innovation.
In the next post of our "Forget What You Know" series, we’ll discuss the end goal of Useful Proof of Work in more detail: Forget What You Know About AI - This is AGI.
What challenges have you encountered with traditional Proof of Work models in blockchain? How do you see Useful Proof of Work changing the way we think about blockchain and AI? Ask your questions and join the discussion in our Discord and Telegram..
