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FLock.io Secures Academic Grant from Ethereum Foundation to Advance Blockchain-Driven AI Research

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Flock becomes the sole recipient of the grant from the non-profit foundation to further its academic research and build practical and secure blockchain-driven AI

LONDON, Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — FLock.io, an industry leader in the decentralized AI (dAI) movement, became the sole AI infrastructure recipient of The Ethereum Foundation (EF) Academic Grants Round 2024. This grant will fund research into incentive mechanisms for smart contract-enabled blockchain solutions.

The Ethereum Foundation is a non-profit that supports the Ethereum ecosystem by funding protocol development, growing the ecosystem, and advocating for Ethereum. The Academic Grants Round 2024 is a $1M wave of grants to support Ethereum-related academic work.

FLock is at the forefront of federated machine learning on the blockchain. Having recently closed a $6 million seed round, it is building a world-first collaborative dAI training platform with on-chain governance, AI model training and hosting. The London-based Web3 startup, founded by a group of Oxford graduates, is on a mission to redirect power from centralized corporations into the hands of the community.

FLock.io is researching incentive mechanisms for blockchain-based AI training
This grant will accelerate FLock.io’s pioneering research in optimizing incentive tokenomics mechanisms to deter malicious behavior in the decentralized AI development lifecycle. This project will benefit the greater ecosystem by harnessing smart contracts for secure dAI systems, upholding principles of security, trust, and computational integrity while maintaining data privacy.

The research, led by Dr. Zhipeng Wang, lead blockchain researcher at FLock, and Jiahao Sun, FLock Founder and CEO and Research Fellow at Imperial College London, will expand on the findings in FLockpublished paper, “Defending Against Poisoning Attacks in Federated Learning With Blockchain,” in IEEE’s Transactions on Artificial Intelligence journal. The research proposes a peer-to-peer voting and reward-and-slash system that protects against malicious activities by Federated Learning participants.

“We are immensely grateful for The Ethereum Foundation grants that support our research,” said Dr. Wang, “We aim to investigate and establish a practical blueprint for leveraging the potential of smart-contract-enabled blockchains, particularly Ethereum, to support secure and decentralized AI systems.”

“Our research seeks to extend the boundaries at the intersection of blockchain and AI ecosystems,” Sun added. “We look forward to collaborating with diverse communities to revolutionize the landscape.”

FLock is dedicated to supporting the decentralization movement. FLock is the first project to bring an end-to-end AI fine-tuning lifecycle to Web3, akin to a Web3 Hugging Face. Its permissionless, performant ML system comprises AI Arena, FL Alliance, and Model Marketplace. The AI Arena closed beta is underway, where developers compete on the best AI models on one validation dataset in a Kaggle-style leaderboard, using their own or decentralized compute.

Explore FLock.io’s latest white paper, which dives into innovative approaches to decentralized machine learning, highlighting cutting-edge incentive mechanisms that leverage blockchain technology to enhance security, efficiency, and scalability in AI solutions. This comprehensive resource offers valuable insights for developers and industry professionals seeking to understand the future of AI-driven blockchain systems. Other existing academic papers co-authored by FLock include “zkFL: Zero-Knowledge Proof-based Gradient Aggregation for Federated Learning” and “GARNN: An Interpretable Graph Attentive Recurrent Neural Network for Predicting Blood Glucose Levels via Multivariate Time Series” in arXiv.

For future updates, follow FLock.io on Twitter, and see its blog and docs.

About FLock.io
FLock.io is a community-driven platform facilitating the creation of on-chain, decentralized AI models. By integrating federated learning and blockchain technology, FLock ensures equitable incentives for data contributors and fosters open collaboration. It also addresses the increasing need for advanced, bespoke AI models and reduces the risk of data breaches by providing secure model training without exposing source data.

Media Contact

Robert O’Neil, Flock.io, (310) 260-7901, robert@melrosePR.com, www.flock.io

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SOURCE Flock.io

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Aleut Achieves Prestigious CMMI Level 3 Certification in Four Key Domains

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January 9, 2025

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RESTON, Va., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aleut Federal LLC (Aleut) proudly announces it has earned Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3 certification in four key domains: Development (CMMI-DEV), Services (CMMI-SVS), Security (CMMI-SEC), and People Management (CMMI-PPL). This significant achievement highlights Aleut’s commitment to operational excellence and its ability to deliver high-quality, efficient and secure solutions. It demonstrates Aleut’s strength in optimizing product development, improving service delivery, enhancing security, and aligning workforce management to drive performance and engagement. 

CMMI, developed by the globally recognized CMMI Institute, is a framework for assessing and improving organizational performance. Achieving Level 3 certification affirms that Aleut’s processes are clearly defined, consistently applied, and supported by robust standards, tools, and methodologies. This milestone underscores the company’s ongoing dedication to operational excellence, mitigating risk, and delivering measurable performance success.

“This certification shows our customers that Aleut doesn’t just meet their mission-critical needs – we excel at it,” said Nick Trzcinski, President of Aleut Federal. “We are committed to continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering exceptional value. Aleut is a partner our customers can trust.”

Aleut’s CMMI Level 3 certification enhances its ability to deliver high-quality outcomes across all projects while optimizing efficiency and minimizing risks. Complemented by the company’s ISO 9001 certification for quality management, these achievements reinforcing Aleut’s adherence to internationally recognized standards, solidifying its position as a reliable and innovative partner for federal clients.

To read Aleut Federal’s CMMI Appraisal, click here.

ABOUT ALEUT FEDERAL
Aleut Federal LLC, a holding company within The Aleut Corporation’s federal services portfolio, is an Alaska Native-owned enterprise delivering vital services to the U.S. government across four primary sectors: Technology, Mission Support, Environmental, and Construction. Established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971, The Aleut Corporation is one of 12 regional Alaska Native corporations. Aleut Federal’s subsidiaries, including Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a) program participants and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) entities, bring specialized capabilities to meet the diverse needs of federal agencies.

By achieving CMMI Level 3 certification, Aleut Federal strengthens its standing as an industry leader, driving performance excellence while delivering mission-focused solutions with unmatched quality and efficiency.

Contact:
Berlyn Martin
Aleut Federal, LLC
Phone: 276-244-3319

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aleut-achieves-prestigious-cmmi-level-3-certification-in-four-key-domains-302347358.html

SOURCE Aleut Federal, LLC

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Lowell Observatory Scientists to Present New Research at American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting- Including New and Unexpected Insights on Planet Formation

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January 9, 2025

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Lowell Observatory researchers will join more than 3,000 astronomers at AAS245 in Maryland from January 12-16, 2025

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The American Astronomical Society’s winter meeting is the largest annual gathering of astronomers in the United States, and Lowell Observatory will be well-represented this year. Executive Director Dr. Amanda Bosh and Director of Science Dr. Gerard van Belle—both of whom just stepped into their positions—lead a contingency of more than a dozen scientists and support staff attending the meeting.

Lowell Observatory will be in attendance at Exhibitor Booth 521, with its astronomers, postdocs, predocs, and other researchers available to discuss their latest science research. Of particular note, Postdoctoral Fellow Taylor Kutra will share unexpected new ways planets may form, based on a study of a binary star system in Taurus that she leads. Kutra will present her findings during both a Tuesday (January 14) science session and Thursday (January 16) press conference.

Other Lowell Observatory scientists will present on topics including comets, asteroids, the Sun and Sun-like stars, exoplanets, a variety of star types, dwarf irregular galaxies, and space-based interferometry.

Bosh says, “The winter meeting of the AAS is a critical opportunity for astronomers at all stages of their careers to share their latest research and interact with colleagues from around the world. Lowell Observatory is pleased to send a strong contingency of our science team to actively participate in this year’s meeting in National Harbor.”

Media are welcome to attend AAS245 in person. A limited virtual attendance option is also available, with live access to press conferences, plenary talks, select town halls, and a virtual oral session. See https://aas.org/meetings/aas245/press.

AAS245 website: https://aas.org/meetings/aas245

AAS245 Presentations by Lowell Observatory Scientists: Full Schedule Here

About Lowell Observatory
Founded in 1894, Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, is a renowned nonprofit research institution. It is the site of historic and groundbreaking discoveries, including the first evidence of the expanding universe and the discovery of Pluto. Today, Lowell’s astronomers utilize global ground-based and space telescopes, along with NASA spacecraft, for diverse astronomical and planetary science research. The observatory hosts over 100,000 annual visitors for educational tours, presentations, and telescope viewing through a suite of world-class public telescopes.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lowell-observatory-scientists-to-present-new-research-at-american-astronomical-society-winter-meeting–including-new-and-unexpected-insights-on-planet-formation-302347343.html

SOURCE Lowell Observatory

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CRTC consults on market dynamics within Canada’s broadcasting system

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January 9, 2025

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OTTAWA, ON and GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 9, 2025 /CNW/ – Today, the CRTC is taking another step forward to implement the modernized Broadcasting Act (the Act) by launching a public consultation on market dynamics within Canada’s broadcasting system.

Through this consultation, the CRTC will explore the dynamics between small, medium and large broadcasters, television service providers and online streaming services. The goal is to help ensure that Canada’s broadcasting system is sustainable, fair and competitive.

The CRTC is welcoming comments until February 24, 2025. Interested persons can participate by:

filling out the online form;writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2;sending a fax to 819-994-0218.

As part of this consultation, the CRTC will hold a public hearing starting on May 12, 2025.

All comments will form part of the public record and will inform the CRTC’s decision.

The launch of today’s consultation follows a number of recent actions the CRTC has taken to implement the modernized Act. To find out more, check out the CRTC’s regulatory plan.

Quick facts

The CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. The CRTC holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and makes decisions based on the public record.First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and Indigenous organizations requiring assistance submitting comments, including oral interventions, can contact the CRTC’s Indigenous Relations Team.

Associated links

Participate in the consultationRegulatory PlanModernizing Canada’s broadcasting framework

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SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

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