Cardano Smart: A.I. assistant for documentation and on-chain/off-chain development

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Sebastian

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

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

6

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

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

A dev. assistant that stores the documentation from Cardano and 3rd parties in a vectorial database and uses LLMs to answer queries and give code examples.

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

Yes

[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.”

The LLM models used to digest the Cardano information are needed to create the developer assistant. The tools will be able to switch between open-source ones and closed-source ones.

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

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The project is a modular design, it will have an open repository for everyone in the community. Anyone will be able to swap the large language model from open-source ones to close-source ones.

It'll be released using the MIT License

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

The Cardano ecosystem needs a concise and fast way to answer development questions. The best solution with the current technology is to leverage the power of Large Language Models (LLM) and vectorial databases.

Cardano Smart is a platform where a script scrapes the official repositories of all the major Cardano developer tools, incorporates them into a vectorial database, tests a series of LLM models, and finally chooses the optimal one.

Once the process finishes, the users can ask prompts to the model. It, in turn, queries the database in the system and gives the best answers it can find. All the answers are sourced so users can verify the authenticity of the information.

The current Cardano Smart bot can answer questions from all the Cardano papers. Additionally, it can provide code for PlutusTx, Aiken, Lucid, and Haskell. We aim to add more languages, we're currently looking to add Mesh, Helios, Plu-ts, and possibly Plutarch.

We're currently doing an NFT sale that will also contribute to the project by covering some of the costs and server requirements. The NFTs are sold at the following site:

https://coffeedao.me/

The tool itself will be released on a repository. Anyone can get the code and use it to run a version of Cardano Smart on a local environment or upload it to a server. We, as a DAO, will host our instance and have it open to the public. It will be the basis to showcase the power of the tool and also to test it with the Cardano community.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

As we stated, the Cardano documentation is fragmented across many repositories, sites, and examples. For new developers, it's hard to get this info as they need to search the web, ask in Discord servers, read outdated documents, etc.

The Cardano Smart bot can amalgamate all this scattered information in one tool. The bot also works great for learning as it provides complete answers and provides sources. The person asking can learn new things just by asking questions on the same topic or reading through the sources.

The Cardano Smart will dramatically cut the costs and development time to launch new dApps. By being an open-source tool, other teams will be able to get it and generate their of Cardano Smart instances suited to their needs.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We already have a working demo of the prototype as people can see on the provided YouTube video. All the developers needed to make this happen are currently part of the project, so there is no need to subcontract any more people. We also have Cardano blockchain development knowledge, so we can test the examples provided by the bot and verify their accuracy.

At the moment the bot is running on a local environment. The next step is to upload it to a server and begin to optimize it by running it on more powerful hardware. After, will begin beta-testing the application with the Cardano community. First to scale it so it can cope with the demand and also to verify its accuracy.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Upload the Cardano smart bot on a server. Optimize its response time and train more powerful models using the hardware of a larger server rack.

Start beta testing the Bot with queries from random people accessing the tool. We aim to do this for at least a few months.

Write documentation for the open repository. This would allow other teams to get the tool and start modifying it for their purposes.

The final product would be a complete version of Cardano Smart running on servers that can answer questions about Cardano theory. It will also give code examples for PlutusTx, Aiken, Lucid, and Mesh.

Also, the repository so other development teams can get the tool and use it on their own.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Ričardas Darkšas is a dedicated programmer whose journey began immediately after graduation, diving into software development. His early work involved creating specialized certification software for a recruitment firm and developing order-generation software for manufacturers thereby enhancing supplier interactions.

His experience expanded to include working on an HR management system and a 3D gaming cafeteria management system. Additionally, he has contributed to industrial projects, focusing on manufacturing process control, packaging, and labeling.

For an intense 2.5 years, he remotely engaged with a marketing company in the USA, enhancing my web development skills by working on various marketing campaigns. This role included traveling to Las Vegas twice to assist with the technical operations at live events. Following this experience, he made significant contributions to a document management system and various projects utilizing Java.

His most recent venture includes completing courses in blockchain technology at EMURGO Academy, and finishing the first batch of the Cardano Solution Architect, leading to his membership in a decentralized organization.

He has developed the backend and management system of the platform Cardano CoffeDAO. A tokenization service for specialty coffee grown in Honduras and sold in the United States. He also generated the images for the project using generative artificial intelligence these models were run both in a local environment and on servers.

Sebastian Pereira is an economist who has experience working for several industries. After university, he worked as head of the planning department of a State corporation. In 2019 he decided to switch full-time to the crypto industry starting as a writer for projects and publications.

In 2018, he founded a coffee trading company in Brazil called Pangea Agro. It exported coffee to several European countries such as Portugal, Spain, and Italy.

In 2020 he began blockchain courses at EMURGO Academy finishing the entire program with the Cardano Solutions Architect. He has worked on many Cardano projects and currently works for EMURGO. He is also a founder of CoffeeDAO.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Item / Expenses / Duration

Cloud Hosting with GPU support | 21395 | 4 months

Database and storage | 279 | 4 months

A.I., Cardano, and database developer salary | 69767 | 6 months

Project Manager salary | 25935 | 6 months

Community outreach and webinar events | 46512 | 4 months

Hardware expenses | 6112 | upgrades for local hardware at the development lab

Total expenses 170,000 ADA

Role responsibilities

Full Stack, Cardano developer, and AI Specialist:

• Primary Responsibilities:
• Backend Development: Implement and optimize backend systems to ensure scalability and robustness. This includes enhancing the vectorial database and integrating it with the LLM models.
• AI Model Development and Testing: Select and fine-tune AI models for improved performance and accuracy. Regularly test various models to ensure the most effective one is in use.
• Frontend Development: Develop a user-friendly interface that allows easy interaction with the bot. This includes creating intuitive query systems and displaying sourced answers effectively.
• API Development: Code and refine the API for external access, ensuring it is scalable and secure.
• Deployment to the Cloud: Deploy project with multiple instances. Create optimal CI/CD process.
• Scalability Focus: Ensure that all systems are designed to handle increasing users and queries without performance degradation.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly update the system based on user feedback and technological advancements.

Project Manager:

• Primary Responsibilities:
• Project Coordination: Oversee the progress, ensuring milestones are met on time and within budget.
• Team Management: Coordinate the efforts of the Full Stack & AI specialist, ensuring efficient workflow and effective communication.
• Quality Assurance: Oversee the testing and implementing of the AI models and platform features to guarantee high-quality outputs.
• Reports: Prepare monthly reports for Cardano Catalyst.
• Budget Management: Monitor and manage the project budget, ensuring optimal use of resources.

Community outreach and webinar events:

• Focus on promoting the platform to the broader Cardano community and potential new users.
• Develop and execute digital marketing strategies to increase platform visibility.
• Engage with the community through social media, webinars, and online forums to gather feedback and encourage adoption.
• Help other teams adapt the tool for their private use.

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

The Cardano Smart bot will increase the pace of development for Cardano. The bot will provide on-demand and up-to-date information for developers, students, and the general public. It will speed up development times and also help those just entering the ecosystem.

Finally, the instance we'll provide is only one of many possible ones. Any team can clone the repository and add whatever they need the bot for. We aim to make it a one-stop shop for all the information regarding Cardano and the entire ecosystem.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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