How Business Leaders Can Leverage Blockchain And AI To Unlock New Opportunities

Forbes

5 days ago

Daniel A. Keller, CEO and President of InFlux Technologies Limited and Flux.
Blockchain and AI are increasingly becoming more integrated—the duo can work symbiotically to bolster one another.
At its core, blockchain provides a decentralized, consensus-based infrastructure that enables AI solutions to operate without third parties controlling the data and algorithms. There's the privacy element as well. Blockchain can help companies address data privacy issues inherent in AI solutions that run on centralized Web2 platforms.
Both of these technologies are continuously evolving. However, business leaders should embrace them sooner rather than later to avoid falling behind.
The Key Business Benefits Of Using Blockchain And AI In Tandem
Why should leaders embrace blockchain and AI sooner rather than later? Consider the benefits that both technologies can offer companies when used in tandem.
Blockchain gives businesses more control and ownership over their data. Third-party platforms—cloud providers, social networks, etc.—can be fickle. Overnight, a third-party platform could change the rules of engagement, such as by raising costs or adding new content restrictions, that make it difficult, if not impossible, for companies to control their costs, maintain their operations and share their narratives. Blockchain breaks that grip of control from third parties. With blockchain, leaders can create cost-effective infrastructure that runs on their terms.
As for AI, it can help companies streamline their operations, pinpoint issues in real time and personalize customer service, to name a few of the many use cases.
However, AI comes with various risks, namely, data privacy issues and concerns about centralized data control and training when using publicly available platforms. In certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, the consequences that can stem from those risks are magnified. By using the decentralized, open-source infrastructure and consensus mechanisms that blockchain provides, leaders can more effectively safeguard their data—both at the input and output stages.
Best Practices For Implementing Blockchain And AI Together
Business leaders should adopt blockchain and AI before these technologies mature. The more they delay adoption, the further behind they risk falling.
To effectively leverage both technologies, leaders should start by identifying how blockchain and AI can serve their business needs. They should focus on their strategic vision for the next six months to a year and then evaluate where blockchain and AI can fit in. Short iterations are vital, given how quickly both technologies are evolving; long planning cycles could render them obsolete before implementation.
Once leaders have identified their strategic vision for the next six months to a year, they can research vendors and find one that aligns with their business needs. From there, they proceed to the implementation stage. There's room for flexibility here. Leaders shouldn't go all-in on adopting both technologies at once. In most cases, an incremental, scalable approach to implementing blockchain and AI will be more manageable.
For instance, the executives of a local consulting firm might opt to stay in Web2 and keep 50% of their company's infrastructure there. It could move the other half of its infrastructure to Web3 and then gradually start migrating customers there. On that decentralized infrastructure, it could begin running AI tools that refine certain processes, such as client scheduling and communication. Over time, the consulting firm can move more of its infrastructure to Web3, increase the number of AI tools it runs and shift more customers.
Following implementation, leaders should remain proactive in keeping their systems current. Blockchain and AI are rapidly changing, and by staying informed about those changes, leaders can pinpoint how they factor into their business needs.
Risks—And How Business Leaders Can Navigate Them
Business leaders should be aware that adopting blockchain and AI comes with risks.
For instance, aside from technical complexity, another prominent risk is that both operate in an uncertain regulatory environment.
Consider recent regulatory activity in the United States. According to TheStreet, on May 29, 2025, lawmakers 'introduced the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act—a bill designed to finally bring clear regulations to the crypto and digital asset industry.' A June 3, 2025, StateScoop article noted that 'A bipartisan coalition of more than 260 state legislators from all 50 states on Tuesday sent a letter to Congress opposing a provision in the federal budget reconciliation bill that would impose a 10-year ban on state and local regulation of artificial intelligence.'
The outcomes of these regulatory activities can have serious ramifications for businesses implementing blockchain and AI, making it paramount for leaders to stay informed about developments on the policy side. A new law could render a company's adoption of blockchain and AI noncompliant, requiring a costly overhaul to get back on track.
Another significant risk is workforce disruptions. When a company switches to Web3 and starts implementing AI, its existing workforce will likely be restructured or cut. Leaders must carefully consider the potential workforce disruptions that may arise from leveraging blockchain and AI.
However, now is the time for leaders to explore blockchain and AI. Acting proactively, rather than reactively, gives leaders the best chance at mitigating risks, leveraging blockchain and AI symbiotically to drive business results and staying ahead of their competitors. Ultimately, it's by embracing open-source, decentralized platforms and AI solutions that leaders can safeguard their costs, operations and narratives.
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