Throw some homomorphic encryption in there and you’ve probably got a viable idea.
Aren’t several people already working on distributed AI and additionally you can contribute to projects like the Horde or Vast.ai with your idle gaming rig? I don’t see how Microsoft should be allowed to patent an idea as obvious as this one…
is the “compensation” part obvious
Hmmh. I’m sure they’d like to make a cut. But the idea is old. I think Vast.ai pays in dollars, the AI Horde in “Kudos” and I believe I’ve also seen some crypto-money / distributed AI crossovers.
the old versions of this was to solve proteins.
This version of the idea is just MS using our hardware to possibly make themselves more money and put people out of a job.
This has already been done. People gave idle CPU time to solve protein folding problems (or something like that.) Years ago. How could they patent an old idea?
The US changed from a “first to invent” system to a “first to file” system. Also, you can literally patent anything as long as you add some tiny random detail that makes it “unique.”
I think seti@home is older still
I think you’re right that seti@home was first. I remember Optimal Golomb Rulers and 2^n-1 primes, too. :)
I can hear Sam’s erection from here
