Aptos Labs, the blockchain startup founded by former Meta Platforms Inc. employees behind the defunct Diem blockchain, today announced that it has partnered with Microsoft Corp. to “explore innovative solutions” in blockchain and Web3 technology such as artificial intelligence, tokenization and payments.

Aptos Labs is a Layer 1 blockchain, meaning that the technology is designed to facilitate digital asset trading and transactions at a large scale. It was designed to rival blockchain ecosystems such as Ethereum, which is the second-largest blockchain by market capitalization It provides programmable smart contract transactions through a scripting language called Move.

Through the partnership with Microsoft, Aptos intends use the Azure OpenAI Service to build a user-friendly AI assistant that can help users understand the complex ecosystem of blockchain and Web3 technology and drive industry adoption.

Web3, otherwise known as the decentralized web, is the ecosystem of token economies built using blockchain technology where peer-to-peer transactions are completed without the need for middlemen. In essence, it allows people to arbitrate their own contracts in code and having them self-execute when certain conditions are met.

“Artificial Intelligence and blockchain technologies are quickly converging for one important reason: They are both generational breakthroughs that profoundly impact the evolution of the internet and shape society,” said Aptos Labs Chief Executive Mo Shaikh. “Together with Microsoft, our shared vision is to ensure that this technology is accessible to more people and organizations than ever before.”

The Aptos Assistant will be able to answer questions about Web3 for everyday internet users and organizations in order to help bridge the knowledge gap by understanding natural conversational language and simplifying complex topics. In this way the company hopes it will also help drive adoption of the Aptos blockchain and apps that use it.

At the same time, the assistant will guide developers in using the Aptos blockchain as they build smart contracts using the Move language and decentralized apps by directing them towards relevant resources. Aptos has also integrated Move in GitHub’s Copilot AI programming tool, which will enable Web3 developers to rapidly write their own smart contracts with direct AI assistance.

“By fusing Aptos Labs’ technology with the Microsoft Azure Open AI Service capabilities, we aim to democratize the use of blockchain enabling users to seamlessly onboard to Web3 and innovators to develop new exciting decentralized applications using AI,” said Rashmi Misra, general manager of AI and emerging technologies at Microsoft.

In addition to working together to build AI solutions, Aptos and Microsoft have agreed to explore solutions such as asset tokenization, blockchain payments and Central Bank Digital Currencies. The objective of the partnership is to drive further adoption of Web3 within financial services enterprises by providing them the infrastructure and tools that they need.

Aptos will also run blockchain validator nodes on Azure cloud, which help secure the decentralized blockchain network and enhance the reliability of the Aptos blockchain. Validator nodes are a system that verify transactions processed through the blockchain and store a record of the chain to prevent forgeries and errors.

Image: Aptos Labs