W. Sarada, Pramod Kumar, G. Rekha, B. Aishwarya · 6 authors
The advances in the architecture of the new web and propelled by Web3 innovations are the major playground where the Internet is moving at a pace faster than we could imagine. It is towards that direction that this research seeks to examine the effectiveness of decentralised systems with emphasis on how Blockchains, Smart Contracts and Peer to Peer systems can revolutionalise the internet by offering more security, transparency and user ownership. Web3 technologies pin the inconvenience of Web2 as being too centralized, lacking in privacy, and problematic in terms of data ownership; Web3 can champion decentralized applications [or dApps] and smart contracts. Taking the key blockchain camps including Ethereum, Solana, and Polkadot into consideration, the study measures their effectiveness, operation capability, and security features. Success and failure rates of the decentralized architecture concept in response to problems affecting different sectors such as finance, healthcare, and digital ownership are measured by simulations as well as the case studies. Particular emphasis is created on such issues as scalability, legal requirements, and user acceptance. Application blockchains are audited by means of blockchain analytics tools and smart contract testing frameworks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of DApps in order to improve them. This research also points towards the issues that require focusing on the improvement of governance models, UX interfaces, and security frameworks in the Web3 sphere. By assessing the existing decentralized platforms and perform performance study, the research identifies the drawbacks and challenges of the blockchain platform and suggests probable solutions to tackle them. Thus, the study results indicate that decentralized web architectures as such have a rather high potential in the future, although the issues of scalability and usability will become the main factors to define their success.
Smart contracts form the core of Web3 applications. Contracts mediate the transfer of cryptocurrency, making them irresistible targets for hackers. We introduce ASP, a system aimed at easing the construction of provably secure contracts. The Asp system consists of three closely-linked components: a programming language, a defensive compiler, and a proof checker. The language semantics guarantee that Asp contracts are free of commonly exploited vulnerabilities such as arithmetic overflow and reentrancy. The defensive compiler enforces the semantics and translates Asp to Solidity, the most popular contract language. Deductive proofs establish functional correctness and freedom from critical vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 9 offers a comprehensive exploration of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and their role in the formation of Web3 organizations. It begins by defining DAOs, tracing their history, and outlining the benefits they bring to the digital world. The chapter then delves into the various types of DAOs, including protocol DAOs such as MakerDAO and Lido, charity DAOs such as GitcoinDAO and Ukraine DAO, and investment DAOs, represented by The LAO and MetaCartel Ventures. The chapter also examines Art Collection, Social, Fans, Sports, Media, Tool, and multipurpose DAOs, with examples such as Aragon DAO and Coordinape DAO. However, it is not without noting the disadvantages of DAOs, such as slow decision-making, low active participation rates, legal and tax issues, centralization risk, and vulnerability to flash loan attacks. The future of DAOs is also a topic of discussion, with speculations on how they could be combined with artificial intelligence (AI), attract large institutional investments, or be endorsed by big brands. Furthermore, the chapter considers the possibility of DAOs functioning as virtual countries and their potential role in inclusive finance. The chapter provides a summary, followed by a series of thought-provoking questions for further reflection.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the concepts and definitions inherent to Web3. It presents a deep exploration into the phenomenon of "Convergence of Convergence," a term coined to denote the convergence of various dimensions within Web3, such as technology, data, user interactions, business models, identity, and organizational structures. The chapter also offers a comparative study of Web3 from different perspectives – tracing its evolution in the Internet era, analyzing its implications for user experience, evaluating its regulatory aspects, and understanding its scalability. Each of these aspects is explored in a detailed, standalone section, allowing readers to comprehend the multifaceted nature of Web3. The overarching aim of this chapter is to foster a comprehensive understanding of Web3, delineating its significance as a major shift in the Internet paradigm and its potential for creating more decentralized, user-empowered digital ecosystems.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 10 explores the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding Web3 technologies. It highlights the need for coordinated and adaptive regulations to foster innovation while managing potential risks. The chapter examines the impact of major crypto company collapses in 2022 on regulatory frameworks and emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to protect investors and mitigate risks. It delves into the regulatory landscapes in the United States, the European Union, China, and Web3-friendly countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Germany, and Switzerland. The chapter covers key initiatives, including the Executive Order Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets and the Responsible Financial Innovation Act in the United States, as well as stablecoin regulations and regulatory challenges related to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). It also explores the intersection of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Web3, emphasizing the challenges of privacy and compliance. Overall, the chapter provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory considerations in Web3, addressing innovation, consumer protection, financial stability, and privacy concerns. It emphasizes the importance of regulatory coordination and adaptation to promote innovation while safeguarding against potential risks.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 11 envisions the future potential of Web3 technologies in reshaping the web. It covers key areas such as generative AI, DeFi, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, and the Metaverse. In DeFi, the focus is on scalability, interoperability, regenerative finance, decentralized identity, and its integration with social networks. The convergence of generative AI and Web3 is examined through case studies and applications, while mobile apps are explored as nodes for consensus algorithms, providing decentralized and secure networks. The impact of Web3 on cloud infrastructure includes decentralized storage, blockchain-based authentication and authorization, decentralized computing resources, and token-based incentives. Lastly, the chapter delves into the Metaverse, discussing decentralized ownership, token economies, identity and privacy considerations, interoperability, and decentralized governance. Through these explorations, the chapter highlights the transformative potential of Web3 in fostering decentralization, inclusivity, and innovation in the digital era.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 2 leverages first principles thinking to reveal the seismic shift enabled by Web3’s self-sovereign Internet and decentralized economic architecture. Opportunities emerge in infrastructure, access, efficiency, accountability, and empowerment. On-chain data sharing and self-sovereign identity allow efficient bootstrapping in an open ecosystem. Decentralized finance increases financial access, while blockchain ID could facilitate inclusive programs such as universal basic income. By automating manual workflows, smart contracts and traceability boost efficiency. Immutable blockchain ledgers enhance transparency via innovations such as triple-entry accounting. The creator economy shifts power by enabling direct content monetization and ownership through NFT marketplaces, decentralized social platforms, and games. Despite adoption hurdles, Web3 fundamentally reshapes incentives around user control over identity, data, and value creation in a decentralized economy. Capturing the full potential requires reimagining economic systems, not just optimizing current models. This epochal shift promises to unlock tremendous value by aligning technology with empowerment in an open, user-centric Internet.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 6 provides a comprehensive overview of tokenomics, analyzing the economic models and incentive mechanisms underlying tokens and cryptocurrencies. It explores the classification, functions, supply and demand dynamics, and financial aspects of various token types, including utility, governance, platform, stablecoins, NFTs, and meme coins. The interplay between tokenomics and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is examined, highlighting considerations such as staking rewards and yields. Innovations such as "play to earn" gaming are covered but also their risks such as sustainability and Ponzi schemes. The impact of community sentiment and conviction on valuation is analyzed through meme coins and viral hype. Overall, this chapter offers crucial insights into the foundational economics of the Web3 ecosystem, grounded in a nuanced understanding of the incentive structures and value drivers behind diverse crypto tokens and assets. Both the technological potential and limitations are critically appraised. The key takeaway is an ability to comprehensively evaluate tokenomics across dimensions such as utility, supply, demand, distribution, financials, sentiment, and regulation.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
Chapter 4 examines the scaling of Web3 to support widespread adoption. It first discusses why scalability is crucial for Web3, enabling it to handle high transaction volumes and users such as centralized systems. Scalability refers to the ability to sustain performance amid growth. Key factors are number of users, response time, storage, transaction costs, and throughput. Scalability is challenging due to the blockchain trilemma of decentralization, security, and scalability. Solutions involve optimizations at the network layer (layer 0), blockchain layer (layer 1), and Off-chain layer (layer 2). Layer 0 focuses on data transfer, using protocols such as BloXroute. Layer 1 aims to improve the blockchain itself via methods like sharding or new consensus algorithms. Layer 2 leverages Off-chain processing via rollups, sidechains, and state channels. Each layer has trade-offs. Rollups bundle transactions Off-chain using zero-knowledge proofs or fraud proofs before validating On-chain. Sidechains process transactions externally to relieve the main chain’s load. State channels allow Off-chain transfers between participants. No single scaling approach fits all cases. A combination of solutions across layers tailored to the application offers the most potential.
Ken Huang, Youwei Yang, Fan Zhang, Xi Chen · 5 authors
This chapter establishes the intellectual groundwork for the shift from traditional web paradigms to a decentralized digital future. It begins by tracing the evolution from Web1 – a static, information-centric era – to Web2, characterized by interactive, user-generated content and the rise of social media. The chapter then introduces Web3 as a transformative leap, driven by blockchain technology, digital wallets, and decentralized applications (dApps) that empower individuals with true ownership over their digital assets and data. Real-world examples in decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and social networks illustrate how these innovations challenge centralization and reshape online interactions. Additionally, the discussion highlights ongoing challenges such as usability, security, and regulatory uncertainty, laying a solid foundation for understanding Web3’s revolutionary potential.
With the rapid development and increasing maturity of emerging technologies such as 5G communication, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and computer supported collaborative work, the internet is entering a new era - Web3. This transformation brings both opportunities and challenges to the field of education. Addressing current issues faced by universities, such as security risks in resource storage, lack of platform creation incentives, complexity in copyright confirmation, unsatisfactory user interaction experiences, and insufficient supply of high-quality educational resources, this paper explores and proposes an innovative solution - the “CoTeach” smart education platform. This platform integrates the core concepts of Web3, and data-driven artificial intelligence technology. It aims to reshape the teaching and learning experience, as well as the collaborative development of professional knowledge. Specifically, the “CoTeach” platform ensures secure storage and immutability of educational resources through blockchain technology, reducing risks associated with resource storage. By utilizing collaborative livestreaming mechanisms, it provides economic incentives for creators, contributors, and learners, fostering greater community participation. The transparency and smart contract functionality of blockchain simplify the copyright confirmation process, safeguarding creators' rights. The platform enhances user interaction through gamification design, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable. Finally, artificial intelligence technology optimizes resource recommendations and personalized learning paths, addressing the shortage of high-quality educational resources.
Muhammad Alif Solihin, Dahliah Nur, Eddy Tungadi, Iin Karmila Yusri
Indonesia's economic growth in the logistics sector is becoming increasingly significant, alongside the rising demand for goods. However, the complexity of logistics supply chain management in Indonesia still faces challenges, including security, human error, and lack of transparency. This research proposes the use of blockchain technology for a logistics supply chain management system, which is capable of storing transaction data in a decentralized and distributed manner. Ganache is used as a local blockchain server, Metamask for transactions, and smart contracts to manage user flows on a web3 dapps-based website. The research procedure includes literature study, design, development, and system testing. The test results indicate that all features and functions of the system operate as expected. The system not only successfully handles high demand and transaction spikes but also demonstrates enhanced data security, improved transparency through real-time tracking, and robust performance under high workloads. Overall, this blockchain-based logistics supply chain management system effectively secures and manages transaction data while enabling data tracking and tracing, thereby increasing transparency and handling high concurrent transactions efficiently.
The Web3 ecosystem is highly fragmented, making seamless integration difficult for over a billion Web2 businesses, enterprises, and AI protocols. As blockchains, rollups, and app-specific chains expand, cross-chain interactions remain inefficient, and liquidity is deeply fragmented. AI systems lack standardized blockchain access, limiting autonomous functionality. Intent-based interactions, crucial for AI-driven automation, face scalability issues due to the absence of robust execution platforms. Meanwhile, the current solver ecosystem is centralized, as liquidity rebalancing remains a challenge due to a lack of developer-friendly tools. Dojima's Omnichain Web introduces a universal framework that abstracts blockchain complexity, bridging Web2, Web3, and AI. At its core, OmniRollups facilitate scalable execution across chains, while the Omni Sequencer ensures atomic, secure intent processing. Linera microchains enable AI-driven transaction automation, seamlessly integrating with Web3 data streams. Ragno Network decentralizes L1 infrastructure, optimizing cross-chain liquidity flows, while the Proof Network enhances cryptographic security for omnichain transactions. Finally, the Builder Marketplace introduces a solver-driven execution layer, allowing developers to build and monetize intent-based applications without liquidity constraints. By fostering a composable marketplace at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, Omnichain Web enables the seamless flow of data, value, and computation. This framework mirrors the internet, bridging Web3 decentralization with Web2 scale to drive the next wave of adoption.
Over the last couple of years, an increasing number of organizations have arisen that are native to blockchain technology. Recent data shows that these decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) that are essentially ‘living on the blockchain’ are becoming increasingly popular. They are attracting substantial amounts of funds, operating both in the Web3 space and off-chain, and creating a significant source of novel tax issues. The existing tax academic research on DAOs is often limited to US domestic tax issues following from the DAO’s legal treatment. This article outlines (part of) the existing income tax landscape for the DAOs and some of the arising income tax challenges. The focus is on the general principles of domestic and international income tax systems. The authors argue that the DAOs create fundamental and practical tax issues potentially leading to income taxed ‘nowhere’. Existing tax frameworks cannot fully embed the DAOs and allow them to maintain their distinguishing features. The incorporation of DAOs does not necessarily solve the tax issues and even exacerbates them in certain cases. The authors call upon domestic and international legislators and policymakers to aim for more tax certainty for shareholders and further tax research of the DAOs.
Based on etherium network, the novel Web3 crowdfunding model is described, aimed at providing a new efficient tool for overturning methods of the traditional fundraising using the safe decentralised approach. With the help of the effective Sepolia testnet, it overcomes the constraints of the outmoded networks such as Goerli. Funds-Chain through the implementation of solidity smart contracts in the application enables the creation of campaign, contributing and providing of payouts with high accuracy hence eliminating the need for intermediaries in transactions. The platform improves the backers' experience through advanced wallet connection attributes which make it easier for them. Given its functionally sound and user-oriented design, Funds-Chain already stands before the prospect of developing decentralized fundraising for the new generation of decentralized finance solutions.
Fabio Zenatti Ferrenha, Felipe Diniz Dallilo, Fabiana Florian
O avanço da tecnologia blockchain introduz uma nova visão para a proteção e privacidade de dados, superando de maneira inovadora as restrições dos sistemas centralizados. Este estudo analisa o uso da blockchain para garantir a privacidade dos dados, diante dos desafios de segurança e confiabilidade em sistemas digitais. O trabalho se baseia em uma revisão bibliográfica e no desenvolvimento de uma prova de conceito, utilizando a linguagem Python e a biblioteca Web3.py para interagir com a rede Ethereum por meio de contratos inteligentes. A execução do contrato inteligente ocorreu na rede de testes Sepolia, com o auxílio do Remix IDE, MetaMask e Infura, assegurando uma metodologia prática para a validação dos conceitos abordados.
In museums, heritage, and non-profit cultural organisations, thought leadership on the ethical implications of AI is gathering speed. Notable initiatives include the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO)'s efforts to address the uptake of AI in museums (2024) and the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council's BRAID programme dedicated to integrating Arts and Humanities research into the 'Responsible AI' ecosystem (2022). This is a fast-evolving area with new analysis and calls to action appearing with frequency. As yet however, little attention has been given to how AI is emotionally impacting lived experiences of cultural workers as organisations seek to operationalise it. This paper highlights the need to consider such impacts, as well as the general-purpose technologies AI builds upon, such as biotechnology and a connected ecosystem of devices, on cultural workers and their practices. The convergence of these technologies signals what futurist Amy Webb calls a technology "supercycle" with far-reaching implications (Aiello, 2024).This paper does not present new empirical evidence but rather portends the need for more research on the relationship between wellbeing, AI, and work in cultural organisations. Based in the UK and the Netherlands, the authors are researcher-practitioners who explore the impact of digital technology on cultural workforces. This paper critically anticipates the implications of AI on those working on the ground in cultural organisations. Our ideas and examples draw from the UK, Europe and the United States, but we hope they speak to experiences of cultural workers across the globe.In what follows, a strategic foresight method known as the "Futures Triangle" (Inayatullah, 2023) will be deployed to consider the plausible future of AI-driven cultural work that might emerge between three pushing and pulling cornersthe past, the present, and the futureeach of which is shaping the adoption of AI in our cultural organisations. This framework helps raise awareness of the trends, drivers, and signals of which cultural organisations need to be aware to ensure an integration of AI that empowers workers to engage effectively while addressing the ethical dilemmas involved. This structure recognises the history that has shaped our current decisions, determines what to carry forward or leave behind, and confronts present challenges. We must consider the impact of our choices and how they will resonate into the future, ensuring they reflect the people and context of multiple possible futures.In Future Thinking, trends refer to long-term patterns that can be carried forward into the future. There are two trends that have impacted cultural work, wellbeing, and AI: digital transformation and decolonisation.The recent history of digital transformation in museums, heritage and cultural organisations is convoluted. Many associate momentum to a 2017 review of English museums which argued for "dynamic data for dynamic collections" (DCMS, 2017: 64). The following year, the UK's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) launched Culture is Digital, a report calling for "practitioners and organisations across the cultural and tech sectors" (2018: 17) to develop "digital thinking" (ibid: 9) stating that organisations felt "held back" by a lack of infrastructure, resources, digital skills and leadership training, resulting in "a fragmented approach" to technology (ibid: 5). Despite digital developments in many cultural organisations the story remained patchy, with funding tending to prioritise "shiny" short-term over long-term infrastructure projects, an ongoing deficit of digital literacy, cataloguing backlogs, and a predominance of non-interoperable systems and formats. This often led to reluctance, fear, and apathy when it came to instilling digital change up to and since the Covid-19 pandemic. As a respondent in a survey on AI in heritage organisations stated: even if AI has the potential "to revolutionise the heritage sector", there remain "real problems that are affecting us, like skills shortages, funding shortages and volunteer shortages" (Oates, 2023). They continued: "the obsession with 'digital' is unhelpful, especially when digital is so poorly defined that the adjective is arbitrarily used as a meaningless noun" (ibid). However, as John Stack, Director of Digital Innovation and Technology at The National Gallery, notes: "Unlike previous recent waves of technology (crypto currency, web3, NFTs, etc.) the AI revolution feels different -there's a sense in which it seems likely to change many things, but we don't fully understand the potential and implications" (Stack, J. (2024) Email to Sophie Frost, 9 January).Trend 2: Decolonisation Often founded on colonial principles, cultural organisations carry legacies that have both hindered and guided their embrace of new technologies. Decolonisation initiatives have burgeoned in recent years with bodies such as UNESCO, International Council of Museums (ICOM), American Alliance of Museums, and Museums Association supporting the need to "recognise the integral role of empire in museumsfrom their creation to the present day" (Museums Association, 2024). While actions for enhanced traceability and diligence in the acquisition of cultural objects has grown, there has been less vigilance regarding the integration of emerging technologies which invite new, equally problematic, forms of coded gaze into legacy institutions. Despite conversations amongst museum and heritage practitioners on the dangers of commercial technologies (Pratty, 2019), there have been few practical attempts to source long-term ethical alternatives. As Oonagh Murphy, editor of this Issue, points out: there is a need to "engage in a broader conversation about the power and impact" of digital tools and products (2024: 73). NEMO has implied that museums have the "potential" to be "partners in the development of ethical practices related to emerging technologies" ( 2024), but there is more work to be done to link decolonisation efforts with the integration of AI.Drivers are broad long-term forces that are likely to have a significant impact on the future. Drawing on research exploring AI in the global workplace, we locate the following as shaping how we imagine the signals to emerge in the future.Research suggests that AI will predominantly result in augmentation rather than automation (International Labour Organization, 2024: 6). Clerical work will be most exposed to automation because of generative AI, with 24% of tasks "highly exposed" (ibid). This is a gendered issue. As women tend to be overrepresented in the clerical field, women's jobs may be "twice as likely to be exposed" as men's (Muldoon et al., 2024: 53). Museum and heritage environments have long been recognised as "pink collar" workplaces (GEMM, 2019) whereby women undertake most administrative roles. In the USA, 58.6% of the workforce is female across archival, curatorial and museum technician roles (DataUSA, 2022) while a UK report on the arts, culture and heritage workforce found only 34% of women occupy managerial or director positions with the majority in junior roles (PEC, 2024). Jobs in areas such as collections management could have large components of their roles augmented by AI. Large Language Models excel at "formal, standardised tasks with clear objectives and large amounts of text data" (Muldoon et al. 2024: 53). In cultural organisations, this form of digital data entry is typically done by women on relatively low pay (Frost, 2022). Generative AI is also valuable in content creation, meaning that marketing and social media roles may be affected.Driver 2: Demand for AI Literacy Discussions of AI workplace integration emphasise reskilling workforces to support its effective use. In the context of cultural organisations, stakeholders are recognising AI literacy as an opportunity to reshape digital work, introduce new efficiencies, whilst emphasise the value of employee agency to digitally experiment through AI methods. Industry specialist Jocelyn Burnham, who offers AI workshops for the cultural and creative sectors, recognises AI as a tool for experimenting with what new technologies might offer, rather than being anxious about how they might disrupt the status quo. AI prompts us to ask more critically engaged questions, to understand our own needs and the needs of audiences in different ways. Large Language Models (LLMs) are helping workforces augment their digital skills, enabling those who have not been able to use new technologies so easily in the past to do so, whilst helping staff learn in different ways (Burnham, J. (2024) Interview with Sophie Frost, 17 January 2024).There is a flipside. The International Labour Organization notes that some parts of the world are at risk of an "AI divide" whereby "high income nations disproportionately benefit from AI advancements" (2024: 5). This could be the case in the cultural field also where AI training is inconsistent. As Angie Judge, CEO of Dexibit, notes: "AI will quickly create a world of the haves and have nots. I hope the museum sector will find itself on the right side of that equation" (Styx, 2024). For Stack, "best practice is still emerging and much of the work is 'bottom up' with museum practitioners exploring the potential, rather than top down with managers and leaders directing this work". He continues: "museums are starting to recognise the need for a policy document that is set for internal review every six months or so, while other internal museum policies often go years before review" (Stack, J. ( 2024) Email to Sophie Frost, 9 January). Such need for agility in the creation of AI policy has been recognised by the UK government also: their Generative AI Framework for HMG describes itself as "necessarily incomplete and dynamic" (Gov.uk, 2024).The most consequential driver for cultural organisations may be the inherent bias embedded within and potential misuse of LLM training data. Many have documented the ways AI datasets have been drawn through the rules and algorithms of those who trained them, leading to race and gender discrimination across multiple online platforms (Leavy et. al., 2020;Buolamwini, 2023). Much of this software has been invested in by legacy tech companies and it is widely recognised that technological development is under the control of those "with strong imperatives to continue expanding their operations and increasing their profits" (Muldoon et al. 2024: 161). New government guidelines for the public sector emphasise the need, when working with AI, "to establish and communicate how you will address ethical concerns from the start" (Gov.uk, 2024) but how can smaller, less powerful organisations reclaim power when limited by the options available to them? Helpfully, the European Commission's recent foresight report focused on the future of Big Tech in Europe and its implications for research and innovation (R&I). Using a scenario-based approach, it offers recommendations to guide the EU's R&I policy. Significantly, all four imagined scenarios indicated "varieties of high tech capitalism" with only one emphasising the prosperity of civil society over Big Tech (2024: 8). Cultural organisations can use such resources to understand the current landscape and strategically respond not only to present developments but anticipate alternative futures of information control.There is an additionally troubling aspect regarding the increased risk of copyright infringement for cultural organisations who make income from their picture libraries through licensing for reproduction and commercial research. This issue gained attention in the UK through high-profile publications such as the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee report on Content Remuneration, which calls on government "to ensure that creators have proper mechanisms to enforce their content and receive fair compensation when their works are used by AI systems" (House of Commons, 2024). If this driver is not managed proactively, what might be its effects on income in years to come?The exponential growth of AI-related employment has surfaced questions regarding its hidden human costs (Muldoon, Graham & Cant, 2024;Gray & Suri, 2022;Catanzariti et al., 2021). Attention is being paid to how human labour plays a pivotal role in enabling AI technology, particularly generative AI, through the paid, piecework of collecting, processing, and labelling of datasets needed by models such as ChatGPT for training. Our research has observed the emotional toll of digitally driven labour in museums, heritage, and cultural organisations (Frost, 2021 and2022;Vargas, 2020). Daily tasks such as establishing suitable naming conventions, cleaning up and figuring out problems in the data, and dealing with acquisition backlogs, require persistence, care, clarity, and impartiality. Those who promote digital change experience personal, psychological costs and ethical dilemmas consistent with other types of cultural and creative work (see Banks, 2017;Belfiore, 2021). When it comes to AI, the concern of many digital staff is, as Steven Franklin, Social Media Manager at The Royal Institution explains, "if you've got technology that is inherently designed to increase individuals' productivity then the demands of the job will probably go up with it. So, you're going to be expecting more people to do more" (Franklin, S. ( 2024) Interview with Sophie Frost, 12 January).A recent study explored the "dark side effects of digital working" of 142 workers, specifically their levels of stress, overload, anxiety and Fear of Missing Out on Information (Marsh et. al., 2024). It found that "employees who are overloaded by information or worried about missing out on it in the digital workplace face risks to their well-being at work" (2024: 12) and stated that greater consideration of the digital workplace "is essential to not only employee productivity but also wellbeing in modern organisations" (ibid). Cultural workplaces similarly need to reflect on how AI will impact well-being, and how the information overload of working with new technology has emotional consequences for workers.It is easy to suggest that AI poses a threat to those who have spent years honing their skills as cultural workers, drawing on data suggesting that those with higher qualifications are more exposed to AI (Department for Education 2023: 18). We propose instead that cultural roles will be positively augmented by AI, creating opportunities for better discoverability and searchability in daily operations as well as in creative reuse and reimagination within the interpretation of collections and audience engagement. AI will need to be accommodated and understood within all job roles in the cultural workplace; it will become the responsibilityand the possibility -of all (and yes, this will require consistent resourcing of time, people, energy, and moneyas does all digital maturity work).More concerning for us is a wider existential issue: if AI, as has been argued by many in the creative industries, is devaluing creativity as a specifically human endeavour, will this deprioritise the importance of the institutions that care for it? We have heard outcries, in areas such as screenwriting, music production, video games and the visual arts regarding the use of generative AI and other digital technologies to replicate human creative outputs (SAG-AFTRA, 2024;Weiss, 2023;The Art Newspaper, 2023). As the quality of generative AI develops, will there not be a moment when even experts are unable to distinguish between AI and human generated cultural artefacts? What might this mean for history itself, for the historical record? Nick Bostrom's Deep Utopia ( 2024) offers one answerhe invites us to rethink the complexity of utopia and confront the unintended consequences of our pursuit for better representation and justice, challenging the binary thinking of utopian vs. dystopian outcomes. He argues that true progress instead requires moving beyond fixed notions of perfection to consider multifaceted possibilities and risks of future realities.Signals represent small, local innovations or disruptions that have the potential to grow in scale and distribution (Howard, 2021). Below are five signals, posed as 'What if?' questions, that critically anticipate how cultural workplaces might tackle the present and reimagine a future with AI. "What if" questions encourage creative thinking, challenge assumptions, and open alternative possibilities. For futurist Peter Schwartz, they are part of scenario planning, a strategic tool to prepare for uncertainty by imagining diverse future scenarios (1991).1. What if we developed greater "coopetition" -cooperating with our competitors to achieve a common goal -as we integrate AI in our cultural workplaces? Our sector must radically cooperate with other stakeholders on the ethics of AI -from corporations to governments, from other cultural organisations to grassroots bodies.workplaces? The integration of AI in our cultural workplaces has required on-the-job learning. New technological developments mean greater demand for new digital literacies in our workplaces; it is imperative to embrace lifelong learning and the upskilling of workforces.technology, climate change, and social justice, and acknowledged more openly how they in our cultural workplaces? are trends and thinking about can reshape and of and What if we that the emotional and psychological of digital work to employment practices in our cultural workplaces? the wellbeing of cultural workers and and by recognising the human AI, cultural organisations will ensure that AI both work and public What if we the enabling AI, their impact on cultural workers, our role as cultural to the global conversation on AI in ways that reflect and lived experience in our cultural workplaces? This encourage us to the AI development and consider how cultural can their to guide practices that the future of the cultural is needed is more empirical research on how employee wellbeing and job quality in to AI innovation are being in museums, heritage and cultural more with other parts of the cultural and creative as we operationalise and more at the of leadership and -of how AI and within a of and cultural we need to learn to better and this ensuring that the integration of AI and lived experiences of cultural workers rather than
As a key enabler of Web3, Ethereum has long faced scalability challenges. The recent EIP-4844 upgrade aims to alleviate the scalability issue by introducing the ''blob'', a new data structure for Layer-2 rollups that enables off-chain storage with much reduced costs. Yet, this new mechanism's impact on Ethereum, and the wider Web3 ecosystem, remains largely underexplored. In this paper, we conduct the first large-scale empirical analysis of the post-EIP-4844 ecosystem, leveraging a dataset of 319.5 million transactions, out of which 1.3 million are blob-carrying. Our analysis reveals two major trends: (1) average block size has increased 2.5 times, from 150 KB to 400 KB, while the share of conventional transactions has shrunk from over $150$ KB to around 80 KB; (2) rollups are rapidly migrating from expensive calldata, falling from approximately 7,500 to nearly zero, toward cheap blobs, rising from zero to about 10,000. These shifts introduce a new economic game between block builders and rollups. Thus, we develop a game-theoretic model to characterize their equilibrium strategies: a profit-maximizing inclusion rule for builders, and a cost-minimizing blob batching strategy for rollups. Empirically, however, we find notable economic inefficiencies: for example, 29.48% of blob-containing blocks are built sub-optimally, yielding less revenue than available alternatives. These findings highlight the intricacies of the blob marketplace, and our work has established both methodological and empirical foundations to understand the evolving post-EIP4844 Ethereum ecosystem.
This paper summarises the intersection of Web3 and AI technologies, synergies between these technologies, and gaps that we suggest exist in the conception of the possible integrations of these technologies. The summary is informed by a comprehensive literature review of current academic and industry papers, analyst reports, and Ethereum research community blogposts. We focus our contribution on the perceived gaps and detail some novel approaches that would benefit the blockchain/Web3 ecosystem. We believe that the overview presented in this paper will help guide researchers interested in the intersection of Web3 and AI technologies.