AI-Assisted Pharmacies with Secure SSI Authentication

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Alaa Benmahmoud

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

alaabenmahmoud2@gmail.com

Additional applicants

--

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

10

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

This project will not be fully open source due to the sensitive nature of the data handled and the need to maintain a proprietary edge in a competitive healthcare technology market. While we are committed to the principles of transparency and collaboration, complete open-sourcing could pose risks to patient data privacy and undermine the project's business model. We assure the community that the core functionalities will adhere to the best practices for security, privacy, and user control, without compromising on innovation and quality of service.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Other

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Proposed Solution:

Our solution targets the significant issues plaguing the German pharmacy sector: a critical pharmacist shortage and the necessity for improved customer data privacy. We are proposing the development of an AI-assisted, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) enabled pharmacy service model, based on our experience as pharmacists and our understanding of the sector's challenges.

The reasons for our chosen approach are twofold:

1. AI Customer Assistance: To tackle the pharmacist shortage, we will leverage AI to manage routine customer queries and consultations, relieving the workload of pharmacists
2. SSI Authentication with Atala PRISM: As for customer data privacy, our solution will leverage Atala PRISM, a decentralized identity solution built on Cardano's blockchain

Engagement:

This project, as a proof-of-concept (PoC), primarily engages software developers, healthcare tech consultants, and pharmacy experts during its development phase. However, it has the potential to engage the broader pharmacy sector and customers in the future, providing a blueprint for a much-needed digital transformation.

Demonstrating Impact:

The impact will be demonstrated through the successful development and testing of the PoC, showcasing that our solution is technically feasible, secure, and capable of addressing the identified problems. We will gather qualitative and quantitative data, including system performance metrics and user feedback, to assess and iterate our solution.

Uniqueness and Benefit to Cardano:

Our solution is unique as it integrates AI and SSI in a pharmacy setting, addressing significant sector-specific problems. It highlights Cardano's potential beyond financial applications, illustrating how Cardano can revolutionize other industries, like healthcare, with blockchain technology. This project, thus, expands Cardano's use cases, bringing it closer to a wider audience and highlighting its capacity to foster innovation in diverse sectors.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Our proposed solution addresses the pressing challenges in the healthcare sector, specifically the pharmacist shortage and privacy concerns in the German pharmacy sector. We aim to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating AI and SSI technologies into this domain, using Cardano's Atala PRISM as the backbone for secure, self-sovereign identities.

The impact and value it brings to the Cardano ecosystem are as follows:

Showcasing Practicality: Our project showcases Cardano's practical applicability in real-world scenarios, particularly in sensitive sectors like healthcare. It demonstrates how Cardano’s SSI solution can improve privacy and security, thus boosting its reputation for innovative, secure, and reliable solutions.

Expanding Use Cases: The project will help expand Cardano’s use cases beyond financial transactions and DeFi, proving its versatility in handling complex, sensitive issues like healthcare data. This strengthens Cardano's positioning as a blockchain solution for diverse sectors.

Solving a Key Issue: This project addresses the key issue of data privacy, offering a viable, secure solution based on the Cardano ecosystem. This not only reinforces the value of Cardano but also presents it as a go-to solution for such critical problems.

Building a Foundation: While this PoC project won't directly bring in users or transactions to the Cardano network, it creates a foundation for potential future developments. It serves as a valuable exploration and validation of Cardano's capabilities, laying the groundwork for future projects that could leverage this technology at scale.

Given the nature of this PoC, it's challenging to quantify the impact in terms of users or transactions during or shortly after the project completes. The primary impact will be the demonstration of Cardano's technology's feasibility and effectiveness in a new, critical domain, thus paving the way for potential future expansion.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

We aim to evaluate the success of our project based on the following measures:

1. Feasibility of Integration: The primary goal of this project is to prove that integrating AI and SSI using Atala PRISM into the pharmacy sector is feasible
2. System Performance: We will evaluate the performance of the AI assistance and the SSI authentication
3. Security Assessments: Given the sensitive nature of the data involved, conducting thorough security tests is critical
4. User Experience: Even though real users won't interact with the PoC, we'll simulate user interactions and collect feedback from a select group of testers, including professionals from the pharmacy and healthcare tech sector
5. Peer Reviews: As a part of our evaluation, we'll also seek peer reviews from professionals in the blockchain and healthcare tech industry

The success of this PoC project can have both short-term and long-term impacts on Cardano. In the short term, a successful PoC reinforces Cardano's versatility and its potential for use in various sectors. In the long term, this project can serve as a precedent for similar initiatives in healthcare and other industries, encouraging more projects to use Cardano's technology and ultimately contributing to Cardano's growth and productivity.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We are dedicated to sharing the outcomes of this project broadly to foster awareness, spur discussions, and encourage further exploration and development in this direction. Here are our plans:

1. Reports and Whitepapers: We plan to create comprehensive reports and whitepapers detailing the project, its design, the challenges faced, solutions adopted, and the outcomes achieved
2. Conference Presentations and Webinars: We aim to present our findings at relevant healthcare technology and blockchain conferences, webinars, or workshop
3. Peer-reviewed Publications: We will seek to publish our results in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of digital healthcare, pharmacy, and blockchain technology
4. Community Engagement: We will engage with the Cardano community through forums and social media, providing regular updates about the project, insights from the development process, and encouraging community feedback and discussion

The outputs from this project will serve as the foundation for further research and development. The insights, feedback, and experiences garnered from this project can inform future enhancements and expansions of this solution. They can also guide the development of similar solutions in other sectors, contributing to the growth and diversity of the Cardano ecosystem. It will serve as a practical reference point for developers and researchers interested in building AI-integrated SSI solutions on Cardano.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our team uniquely blends deep industry insights and strong technical skills, which position us ideally to undertake this project with high levels of trust and accountability. Leading our team is Dr. Alaa Benmahmoud, an experienced pharmacist based in Germany, whose in-depth understanding of the pharmacy sector ensures our project aligns with the real-world demands of the industry.

Complementing her expertise is Oussama Benmahmoud, who brings significant knowledge in blockchain technology to the table. His expertise and seasoned experience will be crucial in the technical design and execution of our project.

We are supported by PeakSoft GmbH, a well-established technology firm known for delivering superior software solutions. This collaboration not only ensures our project's technical excellence but also provides us with strong project management capabilities. As such, we assure judicious use of funds and timely completion of project milestones.

Recognizing the importance of accountability and transparency as stewards of community resources, we are committed to maintaining full transparency in our fund management procedures. We will provide regular updates on both progress and financial aspects. Our promise is to deliver clear, comprehensive, and timely reports on how the funds are used, keeping open communication channels with the community.

With our amalgamation of industry-specific knowledge, blockchain expertise, and robust project support, we are confident in our ability to execute this project successfully, maintaining the highest standards of accountability and trust.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Our project aims to accomplish the following key goals:

1. Develop an AI-Powered Customer Assistance Bot: We aim to build a functioning AI bot capable of handling common customer inquiries in a pharmacy setting
2. Implement SSI Authentication Using Atala PRISM: We will create a system that allows users to authenticate themselves using secure, verifiable digital identities provided by Atala PRIS
3. Set up Private Pharmacy Terminals: These terminals will provide a secure and private interface for customers to interact with the pharmacy's service
4. Prove Feasibility of Solution: Ultimately, our overarching goal is to prove that this proposed solution is feasible and can be effective in addressing real-world challenges in the pharmacy sector

The approach for the implementation of these goals is highly technical and will involve multiple stages of software development. We will leverage the expertise of our team and support from PeakSoft GmbH in the development, testing, and integration of these components. Detailed project management plans and thorough testing will ensure the smooth progression of the project and the realization of our goals. We will also continually engage with the community and stakeholders, soliciting feedback and insights to refine our approach as necessary.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Project Initiation and Planning (1 Month)

• Formulating the project plan and setting timelines
• Defining team roles and responsibilities
• Establishing communication channels and protocols
• Finalizing the design and specifications for the AI bot, SSI Authentication, and Pharmacy Terminals

Success Criteria: A detailed project plan, communication strategy, and finalized design specifications are produced and approved by the team.

Milestone 2: Development of AI-Powered Customer Assistance Bot (3 Months)

• Selection of AI technology and development of the AI bot
• Training of the AI bot using a dataset of common customer inquiries
• Testing and refining the bot's responses

Success Criteria: The AI bot is able to accurately and efficiently respond to common customer inquiries.

Milestone 3: Implementation of SSI Authentication using Atala PRISM (2 Months)

• Development of the SSI Authentication system 
• Integration of Atala PRISM for secure, verifiable digital identities
• Testing of the authentication process

Success Criteria: The SSI Authentication system effectively creates, authenticates, and validates digital identities using Atala PRISM.

Milestone 4: Setup of Private Pharmacy Terminals (2 Months)

• Development and installation of secure, private terminals
• Integration of the AI bot and SSI Authentication system into the terminals
• Testing of customer interactions with the terminals

Success Criteria: The private pharmacy terminals facilitate secure and efficient interactions between customers and the pharmacy's services.

Milestone 5: Integration, Testing, and Refinement (2 Months)

• Integration of all components into a single, functioning system
• Comprehensive testing of the system in a simulated environment
• Refinement of features and functionalities based on testing outcomes
• Preparation of the final project report and presentation

Success Criteria: A working system that effectively combines the AI bot, SSI Authentication, and private pharmacy terminals, and successfully demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed solution.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Project Initiation and Planning

Deliverables: Comprehensive project plan, finalized design and specifications for AI bot, SSI Authentication, and Pharmacy Terminals.

Intended Outcomes: Establish a clear roadmap for the project, ensure alignment of all team members, and set the foundation for the development stages. We will measure progress by the completion of the project plan and approval of the finalized designs.

Milestone 2: Development of AI-Powered Customer Assistance Bot

Deliverables: Working AI bot, dataset of common customer inquiries, training and testing results.

Intended Outcomes: An operational AI bot capable of handling customer inquiries, reducing the time pharmacists need to spend on routine consultations. Progress will be measured by the bot's ability to accurately respond to a predefined set of inquiries, and the refinement of its responses based on testing results.

Milestone 3: Implementation of SSI Authentication using Atala PRISM

Deliverables: Working SSI Authentication system, integration of Atala PRISM, testing results.

Intended Outcomes: A secure, reliable SSI Authentication system that provides customers with verifiable digital identities and enhances data privacy. Progress will be measured by successful implementation of Atala PRISM, and the effective authentication and validation of digital identities during testing.

Milestone 4: Setup of Private Pharmacy Terminals

Deliverables: Functional private pharmacy terminals, integration of AI bot and SSI Authentication system, testing results.

Intended Outcomes: Secure, private pharmacy terminals that facilitate efficient interactions between customers and the pharmacy's services. Progress will be measured by successful integration of the AI bot and SSI Authentication system into the terminals, and the smooth functioning of these components during testing.

Milestone 5: Integration, Testing, and Refinement

Deliverables: Integrated, functioning system, comprehensive testing results, refined features and functionalities, final project report and presentation.

Intended Outcomes: A robust, reliable system that combines the AI bot, SSI Authentication, and private pharmacy terminals, successfully demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed solution. Progress will be measured by successful integration of all components, positive testing results, and the preparation of a comprehensive final project report.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Milestone 1: Project Initiation and Planning - 50k ADA

This phase involves project management, planning, design and specification of the AI bot, SSI Authentication, and Pharmacy Terminals.

Milestone 2: Development of AI-Powered Customer Assistance Bot - 90k ADA

In this milestone, we'll focus on the development, training, testing of the AI bot, and preparing documentation. Part of the budget is also allocated to community engagement activities to keep the community updated about the progress.

Milestone 3: Implementation of SSI Authentication using Atala PRISM - 80k ADA

This includes the development and integration of Atala PRISM, followed by rigorous testing and refinement. Part of the budget will be utilized for marketing and community engagement activities.

Milestone 4: Setup of Private Pharmacy Terminals - 90k ADA

This involves the procurement and setup of terminals, integration of the AI bot and SSI Authentication system, and testing and refinement. A portion of the budget is allocated for documentation and marketing activities.

Milestone 5: Integration, Testing, and Refinement - 50k ADA

This phase includes system integration, comprehensive testing, and preparation of the final project report and presentation. Some budget allocation is also made for contingency, to cover any unforeseen costs that might arise during project execution.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed budget for our project is justified by the extensive development work, high levels of technical expertise, and comprehensive planning and execution that it demands. It is crucial to note that developing an AI-assistant with SSI integration for private pharmacies is a complex task requiring specialized knowledge and skills. 

The cost of the project is proportional to the median salaries of skilled software developers and blockchain experts in Germany, where our team is based. Moreover, given the team's extensive experience, the quality of work delivered is expected to be of high standard, which further justifies the cost.

Additionally, there are hardware costs associated with setting up private pharmacy terminals and implementation of the AI bot. These costs are included in the budget considering the average market prices for the required hardware.

When we consider the value proposition this project offers, it stands to bring immense benefits to the Cardano ecosystem:

1. Innovation: Our project is a unique use-case of integrating AI and blockchain in healthcare, demonstrating the versatility and practical applicability of Cardano blockchain
2. Increased Adoption: By solving real-world problems, our project can attract new users to the Cardano ecosystem
3. Enhanced Reputation: This project could serve as a case study of Cardano's capabilities in practical and meaningful applications beyond finance

Thus, while the costs may seem substantial, the long-term benefits and the potential impact on the Cardano ecosystem justifies the investment.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept