Microsoft, Aptos Labs Team Up on New Blockchain AI Tools

Aptos Labs, the developer of a layer 1 blockchain started by former Facebook employees to bring the company's scrapped Diem project (formerly Libra) to life, is expanding its tools and services using Microsoft's (MSFT) artificial intelligence technology.

The Aptos token (APT) surged about 15% to $7.70 after the announcement was made.

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According to a press release Wednesday, Aptos is leveraging Microsoft's infrastructure to deploy new offerings that combine AI and blockchain technology, including a new chatbot called Aptos Assistant, which will answer user questions about the Aptos ecosystem and provide resources to developers who are building smart contracts and decentralized apps. The chatbot is powered by Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service.

"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,” Aptos Labs CEO Mo Shaikh said in the release.

Aptos is also integrating Move, its native programming language, onto GitHub's Copilot service, an AI programming tool, to support "contract development, unit testing, formatting and prover specifications."

“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.

The two companies have also agreed to explore blockchain-based financial-service products, including asset tokenization, payment options and central bank digital currencies to expand the use cases of blockchain. Aptos will run validator nodes on Microsoft Azure to enhance the security of its network.

A representative for Aptos told CoinDesk that Microsoft and Aptos Labs are working closely to bring these tools to life.

“This is a collaboration from day one," the rep said. "Aptos Labs’ team of AI experts, Ph.Ds and Web3 developers are working directly with Microsoft’s AI team to train models, integrate AI technology into the Aptos Assistant and GitHub elements integrating with Aptos’ blockchain, and determine the best resources for developers and casual visitors who want to learn more about building on Aptos — or ask questions about the Aptos ecosystem, more broadly.”

Blockchain developers across the spectrum have rushed to adopt AI technology in recent months following the breakout success of tools like ChatGPT. Venture capitalists are also focusing more on AI, making the integration of AI key to fundraising and courting tech talent.

Read more: Aptos CEO Defends 'Fair' Tokenomics That Prompted Community Backlash

UPDATE (Aug. 9, 2023, 14:08 UTC): Adds token move in second paragraph.