Building Bridges between Generative AI and Blockchain: The Success Story of a Master's Graduate

Sonny Dhamayana is originally from Indonesia and is now currently living in Dubai. 

His main job activity in UAE is as Project Management in an oil and gas company, and he’s also Regional Digital Transformation Head in one digital transformation startup based in Delaware USA, UAE, and India.

He has been an active contributor in dgTal.ai and Crypto Daily as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain Technology Writer

Recently, Sonny graduated from ZIGURAT’S Global Master's in Blockchain Technologies, having chosen the Technical Path of the programme.

In this article we will see some of Sonny’s Generative AI and Blockchain projects, which he was able to deploy after his formation with us. 

But first off, let's take a look at Sonny's career path and how he ended up at ZIGURAT. We interviewed him to understand his objectives and motivations. 

Firstly: deciding to refine his AI and blockchain training at ZIGURAT

Could you tell us why you opted for ZIGURAT and why you decided to enrol in this Master’s degree?

I had quite a long journey before enrolling in the programme.

I first obtained a Blockchain Technology Development Diploma from the University of Dubai. Then I made a search around the globe to find a compatible programme that would help me in my plan to develop and grow my own startup company, focused on Digital Transformation Services using Generative AI on top Blockchain Technology. For this, i approached a lot of universities in Europe, US, and Asia.

I wanted the programme to cover both technical, business, and legal perspectives. 

That’s when I came upon ZIGURAT and realised it covered all areas. Though I chose to go with the Technical Patch, all students get a business and a legal perspective throughout the programme, which is really useful. 

What would you say are the three strengths of this programme?

The key strengths of the programme are:

• The online methodology and programme contents, suitable for both experts and newbies in technology. The topics covered actually bring valuable insights to those already involved and part of the technology disruption scene.

• The faculty board from different backgrounds, who bring real-life expertise and teach you how to tackle current business challenges. Plus, they are active and engage students, so you have the chance to be proactive and get involved in a very interesting technological community.
   

• The University of Barcelona degree and masterclasses throughout the programme enriched the study significantly.
  
  The Final Master’s Thesis deserves a special mention. Being a group project, it was a very interesting challenge: it was an opportunity to get together with fellow students and figure out how to solve certain business issues through digitalisation. Not just thinking about the strategy, but also putting it on paper and then submitting it to meet the faculty requirements. This empowered and improved the group's relationships, and strengthened our professional profiles.
  
  And, even though we were spread throughout different locations around the globe, the interaction with both the professors and colleagues was wonderful. There were many open and insightful discussions throughout the learning process.

Secondly: putting theory into practice with several AI and Blockchain projects

Sonny was able to apply the knowledge he acquired in blockchain and AI into real-life projects.

“The master’s degree has been fundamental in helping me develop several projects I’m involved in related to generative AI and blockchain”, he specified.

These projects are the following:

• Science Based Target Net Zero Carbon Decentralised Exchanges Platform (Live Project) - In collaboration with other ZIGUTAT Alumni: Siddhesh Deshmukh, Sonny Dhamayana, Maksim Garbuzov, and Jelena Gjorgje.
  
  
  Aim: This project aims to guide and lead Individual and Global Industry/ Business Sector to achieve Net Zero Emission Target through Science Based Target(SBTi) Methodology. The Decentralised Application was developed in 3rd Generation Blockchain Ecosystem which integrated Generative AI as nodes Validator, Community Verifier/ Audit, Staking Functionality, Campaign, Annual Reporting,etc.
  
  (Link Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n61s6g56otA)
  
  This project will have a positive impact in leading and accelerating ICT companies across the world to halve emissions and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.
  

  
  

• Trust and Transparent News Portal through Blockchain Technology (Live Project)

Aim: This project aims to tackle the challenge of misinformation from propaganda, hatespeech, fake news, etc. Its aim is to bring New Era Decentralised Autonomous Organisations to deliver trusted and transparent information through Watched,Listened, Enjoyed, Reviewed, Owned, Earned Experience Journeys.

The platform integrates community and generative artificial intelligence as part of the information verifier, on top of blockchain technology. The current design utilises the Web3 ecosystem and  will be more beneficial during full migration to Secured Decentralised Platform which adopts Fully Decentralised Web5 Platform & Zero-Knowledge Proof Validation Technology as part KYC connectivity. It is currently on trial integrating ChatGPT and GPT4 as part node verifier/ validator.

• Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage DApp (Semi Finalist IEEESM 2023)

Aim: Every year, 2-3 million pilgrims with different backgrounds, from 184 countries in the world, congregate in the holy place ‘Haram’ at Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and Umrah (pilgrimages of Islam). Many of them are elderly. Unfortunately, these pilgrims face various problems: a tedious registration process, involving multiple channels (Visa arrangement, travel management, Health Screening, etc.); hardships during travel (weather conditions, assisting many religious activities at the same time, getting lost from other fellow travellers,  injuries, tiredness, sickness, exhaustion).

Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage Smart Mobility Decentralised Application brings together all relevant services required by pilgrims and the government of Saudi KSA, including: integrated identity database registration process, health monitoring, personal tracking, integrated transportation and accommodation, etc, under Circular Economy frameworks. 

This project uses Decentralised Smart IoT, Generative AI, and Distributed Ledger Technologies which run on Web4 or Web5 architectures.

• Altaawws Circular Fashion Marketplace (Live Project)

• Karaeng Lompoa Carbon Tree Project (Proposal Development)

• Post Quantum Resistance Blockchain L1 L2 Project (Research Proposal)

Thirdly: encouraging all business leaders to embrace AI and blockchain

“Blockchain has an enormous potential for growth both today and in the future”, Sonny declares.

“This technologies will mostly sit side by side with the growth of Generative Artificial Intelligence”, he adds.

“My advice to all leaders who want to future-proof their businesses is to try to explore the use cases of AI and blockchain in simple applications in day-to-day life, but thinking outside the box of normal current applications. For example, we can start from just thinking about how we can maintain our personal records in a secured and safe manner utilising blockchain. Then, we can develop a more complex and decentralised application. And to do this in a serious manner, with proper knowledge-building, I of course recommend enrolling in a Master’s degree like ZIGURAT’s. Be assured that professors will always be ready to support you, even if you are a newby!”, he concludes.