Confidential AI

Definition ∞ Confidential AI refers to artificial intelligence systems designed to process and analyze data while preserving the privacy of that data. These systems employ cryptographic techniques or other privacy-enhancing technologies to ensure that the underlying information remains inaccessible to unauthorized parties, even during computation. This approach is critical for applications requiring sensitive data analysis without compromising confidentiality, such as in financial modeling or healthcare analytics.
Context ∞ The development and deployment of confidential AI are subjects of considerable attention, particularly concerning its potential application in decentralized finance (DeFi) and other blockchain-based ecosystems. Debates often focus on the trade-offs between computational overhead and privacy guarantees, as well as the regulatory implications of using AI that operates on protected datasets within transparent ledger systems.