DFR3 – Proposals’ Peer Review Recommendations

Author: rafael Published: September 30, 2023

Peer reviews are an integral – while still experimental – part of the Deep Funding initiative, providing expert evaluations of project proposals in each round. These assessments guide the community in making informed decisions when voting for the awarded ones. Here, we outline the peer review process, the criteria used for evaluation, challenges that we must overcome, and finally, we share recommendations for community voting.

About the Peer Review Process in Round 3

The peer review process involves awarded team members from previous Deep Funding Rounds who volunteer their expertise to enhance the quality and growth of the program. It’s important to note that while these reviews would offer valuable insights, they are advisory and not definitive in awarding projects. Voters ultimately exercise their discretion and analysis.

In this Round, we divided the Pools into two groups:

Business Pools: In this category, two teams, each comprising two members, conducted evaluations for Pools Marketing and Ideation – one team each.

Technical Pools: The Technical Pools – each assessed by one team – were New Projects, Tooling, and SNET RFP.

Every pool is integral to our mission of supporting SingularityNET’s decentralized Beneficial Artificial Intelligence. However, it’s essential to highlight that in this round, we won’t provide recommendations for the New Projects and Tooling Pools. The reason is clear: despite our efforts in providing and guiding the process, we didn’t reach a vital stage, of discussing the shortlisted proposals in a team setting. Consequently, the outcomes of these two pools represent individual opinions rather than a consensus-based group effort.

Change of Plans

In the interest of a fair process for all proposals within the same pool, we acknowledge the operational problem and have decided not to release the reviews for the above-mentioned. The lack of an amalgamated list within the reviewing team led us to this decision and we are committed to improving this process in future rounds. This level of transparency is a crucial aspect of our approach for two specific reasons:

Process Improvement: Transparently acknowledging the areas that didn’t work as expected paves the way for potential process enhancements or changes.

Clarification: For teams that received individual positive feedback but weren’t recommended, transparency provides insights into the decision-making process.

By maintaining this clarity, we ensure a strong foundation for future developments in the Deep Funding process.

Additionally, it is important to note that the effort of those team members who did such individual assessments won’t be wasted, considering all the remarks and scoring will be delivered to the teams for enhancing or keeping the direction of future proposal submissions.

The SNET RFP Pool Recommendations

In the best of intentions to mitigate such an issue, and also considering the unique context of this pool, recommendations for SingularityNET’s RFPs were made by our internal team, the same team that created the requests. This step ensures a comprehensive evaluation, albeit without the consensus-based review of the community. 

SNET Request For Proposal Pool – Internal Reviews by the SingularityNET tech team. 

Evaluation Criteria

To ensure a comprehensive assessment, reviewers evaluate proposals based on four key criteria:

  1. Feasibility: Reviewers assess whether the project is technically possible.
  2. Viability: This criterion goes beyond technical feasibility and considers factors such as the proposed team’s skills, the project’s execution within the proposed timeframe and budget, clarity and achievability of project milestones, and the use of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound).
  3. Desirability: Evaluates the intrinsic value of the project, including its usefulness, uniqueness in the AI market, and value for money granted.
  4. Alignment with SingularityNET’s Goals and Values: Assesses how well the project aligns with SingularityNET’s mission, vision, and ethics framework.

Each criterion is scored from 0 (lowest grade) to 5 (highest grade), ensuring a nuanced evaluation.

Peer Review Recommendations by Pool

We invite you to explore these proposals further to get a glimpse of the innovative ideas that could shape the future of AI.

  1. Recommended Proposals for Pool Ideation
  2. Recommended Proposals for Pool Marketing 
  3. Recommended Proposals for Pool SNET Request for Proposal

1. Recommended Proposals for Pool Marketing

Open Source Branding Manual for Deep Funding: [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 5
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: The Dell and Cisco Brand books provide a roadmap for this project. The team will need to work closely with DF and Community to achieve branding consistent with organization. Assuming SNET community will use the Brand Book with diligence, this is a valuable product as DF and SNET mature as organizations. The product aligns with values and would be particularly helpful in growing the brand. A modest investment for a valuable commodity. I’d prefer for the Coordination and design $1700 (One month) to be better articulated, but the team is serious and one expects them to deliver.

LATAM SingularityNET Community: [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: This is a well-prepared and robust proposal in every aspect. The only area of review is the budget, which appears substantial for the proposed work. It could potentially be segmented into phases or seek pro bono community support to fully leverage its intentions. Inspired by successful community-building programs like the Cardano Catalyst initiative, particularly the Regional Town Halls, this proposal holds high desirability for SingularityNET. It focuses on strengthening AI development in South America, a pivotal step for SNET’s growth. This initiative’s significance lies in its ability to address diverse cultural perspectives, essential for how communities perceive disruptive tech like AI and Blockchain. A diverse ecosystem, as exemplified by the LATAM SNET community project, could profoundly impact SNET’s overall success. Further support for this proposal might involve securing additional funding, expanding pro bono contributions, and elaborating on its long-term vision.

Deep Funding Workshop in Dubai Summit 2023: [Link to Proposal]

  •  Feasibility: 5
  •  Viability: 4
  •  Desirability: 5
  •  Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: The event takes place 2-4 November 2023. According to the sponsor: “Conversations with the foundation to secure a space at the Summit have already commenced, resulting in the approval of a dedicated area for this purpose.” So, this project should be possible. Tricky as to timing! The overall goals of the project are consistent with SNET goals and, if it can be pulled together in time, should be a real benefit. A high-profile event at a massive (30k) gathering.

Series Youtube Video: “SingularityNET”: [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 5
  • Desirability: 3
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 3

Remarks from reviewers: Standard approach in mature medium. YouTube videos will be longer than TikTok. Another submission from 5 Minutes Crypto. This review will be similar to TikTok review. Similar to TikTok review – uncertain whether the engagement is deep enough to warrant the project. There are several marketing proposals, including others from 5 Minute Crypto. The team should be able to create and present the content described. This project appears to be among the most certain for product delivery and reach.

Web Summit: Scouting for AI Services & Proposers: [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: The team’s extensive experience in similar environments is impressive, and their approach of fostering genuine relationships, conducting thorough research, building profiles, and establishing robust networks aligns perfectly with SingularityNET’s ethos. The team possesses the necessary credentials and flair to deliver exceptional results in creating people-led assets for SNET, both in the immediate and long-term future. While this project may appear as a small marketing element on its own, its professional execution will undoubtedly add substantial value to the SNET platform and its community. Focusing on AI within the broader context of SNET and its integration into the web environment will fortify SNET’s position and enable it to offer alternative visions and additional services in the AI domain. This endeavor aligns with the principles of having a larger purpose, focusing on core values, and nurturing agile communities based on relationships and trustless interactions. The only minor concern lies in ensuring robust support for the SNET Ambassador throughout the process, including before, during, and after the event, and developing the process as intellectual property for future replication of this cost-effective, high-impact, product, position, and channel-building activity.

Building SNET Community Club for Women across Africa (Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya) [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: This is a strong proposal with excellent technical feasibility. It’s well-written, backed by a capable team, and rich in experience. However, there’s a question regarding the scope of activities versus the available budget. While the cause is commendable, there’s a concern that such proposals might result in a lot of unpaid work, which isn’t the intended objective. Nevertheless, providing access to awareness and education in disruptive tech, like AI, is highly desirable and aligns perfectly with SNET’s goals and values. The proposal is meticulously researched, structured, and presented. It’s worth considering reaching out to potential mentors or partners to enhance its delivery, drawing inspiration from organizations like WADA, which originated from the Cardano Catalyst community.

Promotional Online Event: SingularityNET at the Ruby Cathedral! [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 5
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: This proposal introduces a unique and challenging experiential marketing concept, backed by a team with a strong track record in this field. It’s well-crafted and aligns closely with SNET’s goals and values, offering a real-world use case for AI-powered products delivered through virtual environments. This initiative showcases how AI, AR/VR, and blockchain are converging to enable powerful community engagement. It serves SNET on multiple levels, demonstrating decentralization and community power. The parallel launch and management approach is not only beneficial for SNET but also indicative of the evolving product development landscape, where rapid launch, testing, and refinement are becoming increasingly common.

Deep Funding TikTok Channel [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: This proposal boasts a team of well-respected blockchain experts, adding credibility to the project. The intent and methodology are commendable, with an agile product build, a scalable delivery platform, and a proven community-building mechanism. However, concerns arise regarding the project’s scope, which may be alleviated by AI-enabled solutions. This approach is highly desirable, given the rapidly evolving landscape of awareness, engagement, and learning in the technology space. It presents an opportunity to run an MVP for product development and community engagement, promoting AI and SNET to a specific market segment effectively. As exponential technologies converge, success hinges on explaining full value, trustless decentralization, and agile community building. This MVP, targeting a minimal viable market segment, serves as a valuable experiment, providing data, information, knowledge, and wisdom for the SNET community.

2. Recommended Proposals for Pool Ideation

Requirements for a Deep Funding Contribution Token [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 3
  • Desirability: 4
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 4

Remarks from reviewers: The team has enough team members with the right skills. Proposer should propose a time frame for each subtask as a one-milestone proposal. The report and Proposal should have a draft outline.

Intelligent Ocular Image Processing for the AI Marketplace [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 4
  • Viability: 3
  • Desirability: 4
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 4

Remarks from reviewers: Specific, measurable, achievable milestones are not well stated. Its clear focus is on addressing a critical challenge in the field of medical AI – the lack of quality datasets for training algorithms. This ideation project includes a literature review and environmental scanning. The outcome of the proposal should be well stated in Milestone with SMART goals.

Readying the sNET Archives for LLM [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 4
  • Viability: 5
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 5

Remarks from reviewers: The proposal has a clear alignment with SingularityNET’s mission.

VeterinaryDAO – AI-Assisted Veterinary Triage Service [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 5
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 4

Remarks from reviewers: Budget may not be enough. What are the metrics to measure the success of the proposal? The proposal addresses a critical problem in the veterinary industry.

Revolutionizing Relationships with AI-Powered Diagnosis [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 4
  • Viability: 4
  • Desirability: 5
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 4

Remarks from reviewers: This proposal could leverage AI to make deep, personalized relationship information accessible to everyone with an Internet connection. The budget allocated for interviews and research seems relatively low, given the potential depth and breadth of the research.

Modeling Soil Health Indicators at Scale for Agriculture and Climate [Link to Proposal]

  • Feasibility: 4
  • Viability: 3
  • Desirability: 3
  • Alignment with SNET’s Goals and Values: 4

Remarks from reviewers: This project tackles the challenge of obtaining quality SOC lab data on a global scale. The proposed team possesses the necessary skills and capabilities for project delivery. However, there are weaknesses in terms of project planning. It lacks clear milestones with defined timeframes and SMART goals, which are essential for understanding when and how the proposal will achieve its global-scale ecosystem modeling tools for measuring soil health indicators. Despite this, the project’s strength lies in its unique ability to collect SOC information, enhancing AI model accuracy, and its cost-effectiveness.

3. Recommended Proposals for Pool SNET Request for Proposal

In the link below, you will find the internal team review of the proposals made for the SNET-RFPs Pool.

All in all, we are extremely happy with the quality and quantity of the proposals submitted!
We have a few that are specially recommended, but also the ones that do not have this label are basically good candidates for implementation. Therefore we will give an overview of all proposals, but with special acknowledgment of the ones that are recommended. We are looking forward to seeing the voting results, and hope we will be able to bring in some great value-adding projects.

SNET Request For Proposal Pool – Internal Reviews by the SingularityNET tech team. 

Voting Period

Now, as we transition into the voting period, from October 2nd to October 8th, your active participation becomes paramount. Your votes will determine which projects receive funding and support. By participating in this process, you play a pivotal role in realizing SingularityNET’s vision of becoming a Decentralized Artificial Intelligence platform.

Your engagement matters. Take the time to review the proposals (Tab Open Proposals), ask questions, and cast your votes wisely. Together, we can shape the future of AI and transform SingularityNET into the epicenter of decentralized innovation in artificial intelligence.

Check our Voting Portal: https://voting.deepfunding.ai/ 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the recent “fork” in our peer review process highlights the dynamic nature of decentralized decision-making. It underscores our commitment to transparency and improvement. We appreciate the dedication of our reviewers and the discernment of our voters in shaping the future of AI through Deep Funding.

Please note that the information provided here is a general overview of the peer review process and does not represent specific details or decisions in Deep Funding Round 3. We remain committed to refining our processes for the betterment of the SingularityNET community.

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