The IT giant is now working to bring blockchain technology to its artificial intelligence platform Watson in order to make the emerging Internet of Things ecosystem safer and more convenient.

In his interview to CoinDesk, IBM’s chief architect in charge of the Internet of Things security Tim Hahn argued that the introduction of blockchain to Watson Internet of Things could help solve problems faced by the IoT.

Put on blockchain, the information related to the work of IoT can easily get analyzed in any case of malfunction, helping make out at which moment exactly a problem has occurred. After the problem is solved, software solutions can be implemented remotely, most likely by the system itself, reducing human involvement.

IBM’s Watson Internet of Things is supposed to connect a cognitive computer to all of the nearly 13 billion devices involved in the IoT system (the number which will grow, reaching 29 billion by 2020, as estimated by the IBM IoT website).

The data provided by these devices is “varied, noisy, time-sensitive and often confidential.” Watson is able to process the data, systematize it, and develop solutions; supplemented by blockchain, the platform will be able to fix all the problems itself.

Still, this does not guarantee the 100% safety of the whole system. “I don’t think blockchain and security are synonymous… There’s plenty ways to insecurely use the blockchain,” admitted Hahn.

Superadded by blockchain, IoT can also diversify access to devices owned by corporations the way permissioned ledgers do, with different users having different levels of access.

IBM has been among blockchain pioneers, participating in the joint Hyperledger project launched by the Linux Foundation. One of the branches of the corporation, IBM Blockchain, offers business solutions to conduct shared processes using the technology.

Andrew Levich