AI Safety: Is Blockchain Technology the Answer?

Abstract 

Elinor Ostrom’s theory of governing the commons, outlined in her seminal 1990 book Governing the Commons, explains how communities can successfully self-organise to manage common-pool resources (CPRs). These are resources that are non-excludable (everyone can benefit) but subtractable (overuse or neglect by some can degrade them for all), without relying solely on top-down government intervention or privatisation.

Her eight design principles for sustainable CPR management include clear boundaries, locally tailored rules, participatory decision-making, community monitoring, graduated sanctions, accessible conflict resolution, recognition of self-governance rights, and nested governance structures.

Ostrom’s early empirical work on policing in the 1970s, which informed her broader commons framework, challenged assumptions about centralised authority. It showed that smaller, decentralised systems with strong community involvement can outperform larger bureaucracies in delivering services such as public safety.

This talk explores whether the same could be true for AI safety. It introduces a new project, Clio-X, designed to leverage blockchain-based infrastructure to enable community-based governance of AI. The aim is to protect archival data sovereignty and intellectual property, prevent privacy leakage, address bias and environmental sustainability, and support new models of economic sustainability for cultural heritage institutions.

The work presents blockchain as a potential complementary, community-based approach to AI safety and ethical AI implementation, alongside emerging state-based regulations.

About the speaker 

Victoria L. Lemieux is Professor of Archival Science at the University of British Columbia School of Information and Founder and Co-Lead of Blockchain@UBC, the university’s multidisciplinary research and education cluster on blockchain technology.

Her research focuses on risks to the availability of trustworthy records, particularly at the intersection of blockchain record-keeping systems, artificial intelligence, privacy, and security. She examines how these risks affect transparency, financial stability, public accountability, and human rights.

Victoria has received a number of awards for her research and contributions to the fields of archives, records management, blockchain technology, and cybersecurity.

This event is part of the Financial Computing and Analytics Research Group seminar series at UCL Computer Science.