Effect.AI has published its latest development report and newsletter that wraps up everything the team has been working on for the last couple of weeks. The report touched on the numerous new features the platform has added as well as partnership and event updates.
Effect.AI is a decentralized network for AI intelligence, often referred to as the Effect Network. Once fully live and operational, the Effect Network will be comprised of three components: Effect Force, a decentralized mechanical turk marketplace for training AI and machine learning algorithms; Effect Smart Market, a platform where people can offer and buy AI services; and Effect Power, a distributed computational platform that will help run said learning networks.
Effect Force was launched as a private beta on June 28th, and reportedly completed 200,000 tasks in its first 48 hours.
Effect Force Machete
A highlight of the most recent progress report was the tentatively named Effect Force “Machete,” which intends to help the platform compete with its Amazon’s mechanical turk platform, its largest competitor.
Mechanical turks are used for many different purposes, but primarily their use is to complete tasks at a scale that cannot be done by computers. For example, the first 200,000 tasks that were petitioned by Effect Force involved users identifying images of people. Users were asked to classify the photos as either a “selfie” or “not a selfie” and earned rewards in the form of EFX tokens for each submission.
The photos were supplied by a company named Lobster.Media, a user-generated licensing marketplace. The data was then used by the firm to help train its AI algorithm for classifying the two types of photos.
In the announcement, Effect.AI did not shy away from its ambitions of becoming a leading mechanical turk platform nor the realities of the competition from providers such as Amazon:
“It’s no secret we want every Requestor from Amazon’s Mturk platform to join and use the Effect Force platform instead! To accomplish this we need to give those Requestors as many reasons as possible to make the switch. We already know that we can be quicker, produce higher quality and that we will have a much more robust and diverse workforce given that we are decentralized and borderless. These facts we are sure of.”
Machete was described as “the biggest game changer thus far for the Effect Force platform,” that will allow requestors to copy and paste task lists, templates, and styles from Amazon’s platform directly to Effect Force.
Most importantly, however, Machete will allow users to create unique and custom tasks in an isolated environment, meaning that templates can contain any sort of html, Javascript, or styling. The templates can then be loaded into Effect Force and are automatically saved along with any created input fields.
The bottom line is that Machete will allow requestors to create tasks without limitations and import their existing projects directly from other platforms such as Amazon – two features which other solutions lack in the market.
A fully detailed Medium post on Machete will be released by the Effect.AI team soon.
Effect WorkForce Discord
Effect.AI also introduced its Effect WorkForce Discord server “which allows all registered workers to communicate with each other, give platform feedback, create tickets for technical support and gain access to training and qualifying tasks.”
At present, joining the Effect WorkForce channel is limited to those who have an Effect Force worker account.
For existing Effect Force users, one can create a connection between their identities on Effect Force and Discord under the Effect Force profile settings page. Once the connection is made, users will then be added to the Discord server and will be assigned the “WorkForce” role, along with access to the exclusive Effect Force channels.
Also, a tutorial was added for the Effect Force registration process. It covers all the fundamentals of the platform including the payout mechanism, qualification system, and community channels. The tutorial was designed to be a “warm welcome for workers taking their first steps into decentralized microtasking.”
Effect Ambassadors Program Update
A separate role and channel were created for Effect Force Ambassadors, a program announced near the start of December. Effect Ambassadors are essentially champions of the Effect ecosystem; raising awareness and the profile of the platform as a whole – although Ambassadors also fulfill a range of other responsibilities that can range from writing to business development.
Interest in the role is claimed to be strong as the team received “over 80 submissions for individuals from 62 different countries.”
The first round of selections for Effect Ambassadors will commence January 3rd, 2019.
To register as an Ambassador, click here and fill out the form on Typepad.
Newly Established Partnership
Effect.AI announced a newly formed a strategic alliance partnership with Decentralized AI Alliance (DAIA) and SiingularityNET.
The DAIA is an organization that seeks to establish a connection of labs, non-profits, and companies that are “sincere about their aim and goal of democratizing AI.” SingularityNET is among a handful of entities that have become members of the DAIA.
SingularityNET is a global AI network that aims to allow its users to create, share, and monetize AI services at scale.
Effect.AI stated A Medium post detailing the freshly formed partnership is forthcoming.
November 29th Meet-Up Recap
Effect.AI held its first ever meet up two weeks ago at its Amsterdam headquarters. The event was described as a success, as it attracted over 70 attendees along with 600 live viewers on Facebook.
The event featured presentations and an AMA session with the founders, following a networking session.
A recorded live stream of the event can be watched here, along with a write up about the event by NEO News Today.
The next annual Effect.AI meetup is scheduled for November 7th, 2019.
International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Update
Finally, the team made the announcement that it would not be attending the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada January next year. CES is a major annual event to showcase new products and technologies to consumers.
Instead, Effect.AI states that it will continue to focus on onboarding requestors to its platform, as well as developing new partnerships.
A statement concerning the team’s cancellation of the event can be read below:
“This is why, with pain in our hearts, we have decided to cancel our presence at the CES Las Vegas 2019. We are incredibly proud to have won the ticket and thank the Dutch government and Startup Delta for the honour and support. This has not been an easy decision. But we are currently working on partnerships with potential Requestors and this process takes time and laser focus.”
About The Author: Matthew North
Matthew North is a freelance writer and journalist who resides in East Asia. He spends his time writing and learning about financial technologies like the Blockchain and digital currencies. You can follow him on twitter @fintech_matthew.
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