The Malta Blockchain Summit is coming back! On May 24th and 25th, the eyes of the Blockchain World will be eagerly set on the sunny Mediterranean island of Malta where the greatest names and authorities of the Blockchain and Crypto world will gather and discuss the future of this groundbreaking industry.
However, Malta is not only known as the Blockchain Island. It has also made news when it announced its plan to develop the world’s first legal framework for artificial intelligence (AI). While other countries are slow to embrace the future of technology, Malta is courageously taking the initiative and pushing for legal innovation and clarity companies need to promote and develop their various proofs-of-concept.
Continuing the success story started with Malta Blockchain Summit 2018
Already the last Blockchain Summit in 2018 was a huge success. Back then, more than 5000 start-up founders and Blockchain enthusiasts from all over the world had gathered on the Blockchain Island Malta.
The first Malta Blockchain Summit began on November 1 and 2, 2018, the date on which the world’s first legal framework for DLT technology came into force. It was at this event that Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also announced that, in addition to positioning itself as Blockchain Island, it wanted to take the next step and was already working on legislative initiatives and the development of a legal framework for Artificial Intelligence.
Here, too, there would be a great deal of new legal terrain to cover and numerous challenging questions to which no clear answers have yet been found worldwide from a legal perspective are still lying ahead. To this end, it was announced back then that an Artificial Intelligence Task Force had been set up with renowned researchers and representatives from business and politics.
So the next logical step is for the Maltese government to combine its efforts for these two groundbreaking technologies and organise a big event, which is little surprisingly called the Malta Blockchain & AI Summit 2019.
The much anticipated global spectacle will take place on 24 and 25 May 2019 at the Hilton Hotel in St Julian’s. Once again, the aim is to reach the maximum filling of the rooms and attract 8500 blockchain and AI enthusiasts from all over the world.
Promotion of the event has already begun
In the last 2 weeks, promotion of the event has already been started. In the first mailings from the media, well-known experts and insiders are announced, who will contribute their know-how as keynote speakers or authorities in panel discussions and take part in exciting debates and answer the questions of the interested audience.
On the official website of the event, top-class participants are already listed. Among them for example Tim Draper, or Ben Goertzel of SingularityNET, who of course also brings along speaking AI robot Sophia (one of the stars of MBS 2018). Sophia functions by means of AI and has already symbolically become the first “AI Citizen” of Malta, i.e. a citizen. This speaks to part of what Malta wants to do with drafting the world’s first legislation for AI. Media support for the event will include CoinMarketCap and the Times of Malta.
Maltese Government well-represented at summit & announces creation of legal entity for DAOs
Of course, the event will once again be under the patronage of the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who is going to welcome the participants personally at the eagerly awaited Summit. Silvio Schembri, Parliament Secretary for the Digital Economy, will also be present at the 2-day congress and enter into dialogue with representatives from all over the world.
The first details of the agenda have already been leaked. The keynotes and panel discussions will be devoted to three different topics. These are Blockchain & AI and Foreign Direct Investment, Future of Digital Investment and Regulatory Framework of the Blockchain & AI Space.
In addition, another “World’s First” legal measure has already been announced on the Summit’s website. Still in 2019 another law is to be passed that will give so-called DAOs – Decentralised Autonomous Organisations – their own legal entity. DAOs are virtual organisations in which all processes and transactions can be handled automatically (without human involvement!) through the execution of Smart Contracts.
Among the Top 10 AI Countries: Schembri announces public workshop
In a workshop at Microsoft, Silvio Schembri has meanwhile announced more details and news about the development of the planned AI framework. He emphasized the necessity of the legal framework to meet three requirements: it must be ethical, transparent and socially responsible.
In order to achieve transparency and practical applicability, great importance is also attached to public debate and discourse on the new legal territory that will be opened up here. Schembri has therefore announced a public workshop on AI on 21 March and openly invites all interested parties to participate.
He hopes that this will provide all parties involved with greater clarity and a common direction for the future of AI legislation. He said: “The public consultation workshop by the Malta.AI Taskforce will provide a better picture of where the strategy is heading and which are the identified pillars that will be focused upon.”
The world’s first: Malta now issues university degrees via Blockchain
With yet another measure Malta wants to once again underline its role as a pioneer in the area of blockchain. From now on, all diplomas and certificates issued by private, church and state schools and universities will be issued and stored on the Blockchain. As reported by the local daily MaltaToday on 21 February, to that end, the Maltese government has signed a 2-year contract with a company called Software Machine.
However, this is not a new measure at all, but rather the continuation of a pilot project started almost two years ago. It appears that the results of this project have been so satisfactory that the initiative is now being scaled into an integral part of the public life in Malta.
Of course, the Maltese government and the operator did not want to miss the opportunity to announce this global-first measure in public spotlight. Malta is now the first country in the world to issue all higher education certificates via the blockchain. Therefore, a short ceremony was held at the Auberge de Castille, where a press conference was held not only with the operators but also with the most senior members of the Maltese government present.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat naturally sees the measure as further proof of Malta’s positioning as Blockchain Island. Along these lines, he simply said: “In 2017, we said Malta will become the blockchain island, and it has.”
He also pointed out the main advantages of issuing diplomas and certificates on the blockchain. These are above all a massive reduction of the bureaucratic burden and stronger protection for the private data of students and graduates. Digital verification using a private key and blockchain makes it possible to prove the authenticity of a degree. And this completely without the need to disclose further personal data of the individual.
At the ceremony, which was also attended by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Parliament Secretary for Digital Economy Silvio Schembri announced a further tranche of endowed scholarships for students of a blockchain-oriented degree at the University of Malta for 25 February.
Malta Blockchain & AI Summit 2019: a must-attend for Blockchain & AI start-ups
For companies, start-ups and freelancers as well as industry experts from all over the world, this sunny Mediterranean island offers another first-class event to exchange and network with other experts from all over the world. In addition, you can also find out more about Blockchain Island Malta as an attractive location for the settlement of Blockchain companies.
