Top University Professor from Singapore Joins Huobi Live Stream: AI Ushers in a New Paradigm for Web3 Digital Security
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Top University Professor from Singapore Joins Huobi Live Stream: AI Ushers in a New Paradigm for Web3 Digital Security
Huobi HTX is committed to providing users with comprehensive, easy-to-understand, and practical digital security information to enhance security awareness.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsOn November 1, Professor Yang Liu, co-founder of Meta Trust and faculty member at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) School of Computer Science, joined Dr. Xiaofei Xie, chief advisor at Scantist and assistant professor at Singapore Management University (SMU), as guest speakers on Huobi's live broadcast. The session, titled "The Convergence of Web2, Web3, and AI Security: Exploring Future Digital Security Challenges," delved into AI applications in Web2/Web3 security, user privacy and data security in the Web3 era, and the future development of AI.
With the rapid evolution of Web3, safeguarding user data and assets has become increasingly critical. Recently, Huobi HTX has been actively educating users about Web3 security through interviews, live streams, and other formats. Simultaneously, by partnering with industry leaders such as CertiK, Cobo, and Xinhua Technology, Huobi aims to secure user assets and promote the healthy development of Web3.
Divergence in Digital Security Between Web2 and Web3
During the livestream, Professor Liu analyzed that over the past 10–20 years, security challenges in the Web2 space have evolved progressively—from network security to operating system security, and further to application-layer security. In contrast, Web3 is still in its early and rapidly evolving phase, where different architectural layers—from public blockchains to Layer2 solutions and application layers—present distinct security challenges.
According to his analysis, differences between Web2 and Web3 digital security manifest in five key aspects:
1. In terms of decentralization, most Web2 services and data are centralized, meaning a single point of failure could lead to massive data loss or breaches. Web3, designed with decentralization in mind, emphasizes fundamental security assurances at the smart contract and infrastructure levels.
2. For identity verification, Web2 primarily relies on usernames and passwords, whereas Web3 uses cryptographic keys or multi-signature mechanisms. This shift brings new challenges related to wallet protection and the secure design of multisig systems. Additionally, this transition increases the cost of security education for users, especially regarding MPC wallet usage.
3. Regarding data ownership and access control, Web2 data is largely owned by service providers who dictate access and usage rights. In contrast,Web3 adopts open-source models, with data stored publicly on blockchains, potentially raising privacy concerns.
4. When it comes to system updates and fixes, Web2 platforms can be easily upgraded since service providers have full control over servers and software. However, in Web3, on-chain data immutability makes updates and repairs significantly more difficult. New mechanisms such as smart contract upgrades and hard forks are therefore required to address security needs.
5. In terms of economic incentives and attack motivations, Web3’s token-based economic model provides attackers with direct financial incentives. As a result, security incidents and associated losses in Web3 are more pronounced than in Web2. The Web3 community must implement stricter security measures and well-designed economic incentive structures to protect network integrity.
Dr. Xie added that in Web3, even a minor vulnerability can lead to significant losses, underscoring the need to cultivate developers’ security awareness. Moreover, it is crucial for security firms to provide developers with automated tools and algorithms—including AI-powered solutions—to reduce manual workload, improve efficiency, and minimize human errors and vulnerabilities.
On the topic of interoperability between Web2 and Web3, Dr. Xie noted that conflicting trust models, differing authentication methods, incompatible protocol standards, and data consistency issues complicate integration. Addressing the unique security risks of both ecosystems and establishing unified interoperability frameworks remain key challenges.
Professor Liu also emphasized that interaction between Web2 and Web3 will be a critical security challenge. Such interactions may introduce new attack surfaces, requiring careful analysis based on specific use cases.
AI Ushers in a New Paradigm for Digital Security
In the Web3 era, individuals can establish credibility through their digital identities, enabling greater data security and enhanced user autonomy. However, this progress brings growing concerns around data privacy, security, and openness.
Dr. Xie stressed the importance of digital security education for users, along with adopting technical solutions such as zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryption to tackle these challenges.
Indeed, AI plays a pivotal role in Web3 digital security, giving rise to new business models and operational paradigms. Professor Liu explained that AI technologies are now widely applied—not only in traditional network traffic analysis but also in application-layer vulnerability detection, cloud-level security log and behavioral analysis, and even in monitoring cryptocurrency transactions and blockchain smart contracts.
AI, particularly large language models, holds great promise in digital security. Although already demonstrating strong performance, current AI systems still suffer from high rates of false positives and false negatives in areas like vulnerability detection. Dr. Xie noted that continuous efforts—including data cleansing and adaptation—are needed to keep pace with evolving threats, diverse application scenarios, and dynamic security environments, thereby improving overall AI model performance and reliability. Professor Liu added that deploying AI in digital security offers vast room for experimentation and innovation. More research investment is required, along with effective commercialization of research outcomes. The ultimate goal is to transform foundational AI models into expert systems equipped with robust security capabilities.
On the future of AI, Professor Liu remarked that technology is a double-edged sword. For any emerging technology to become a reliable tool, concerted efforts from both enterprises and regulators are essential.
During the livestream, representatives from Huobi HTX stated that in the Web3 era, digital security is not only vital for protecting personal privacy and assets but also forms the foundation for user trust and safe participation in the Web3 ecosystem. Huobi HTX is committed to providing users with comprehensive, accessible, and practical digital security information to strengthen awareness, while offering a suite of security tools and technical support to help users better protect their assets and data. In this era of challenges and opportunities, Huobi HTX looks forward to exploring, learning, and growing together with its users.
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