Intel, Microsoft Research and Duality Technologies have brought togethre nearly 100 security, privacy and artificial intelligence (AI) community members together to create standards for homomorphic encryption (HE), which is emerging as a leading method to protect privacy in machine learning and cloud computing.
“Many of the AI systems that we use and enjoy today are built on and shaped by data, which can be private and sensitive. As homomorphic encryption gains momentum, Intel is proud to collaborate with Microsoft Research and Duality Technologies on standardizing homomorphic encryption to unlock the power of AI, while still respecting and protecting data privacy,” says Casimir Wierzynski, senior director: office of the chief technology officer: AI products group at Intel.
As more data is collected and used to power AI systems, concerns about privacy are on the rise. A recent study by Intouch International found that nine in 10 internet users in the US are concerned about the privacy and security of their personal information online. As interest in privacy preserving methods for machine learning grows, it’s essential for standards to be debated and agreed upon by the community – spanning both business and academia.
“Microsoft has invested heavily in developing homomorphic encryption, including the release of Microsoft SEAL for commercial use, as a tool to protect enterprise and consumer privacy, while bringing the full power of ML algorithms to process data in the cloud,” says Kristin Lautner, partner research manager in the cryptography and privacy research group at Microsoft. “The standardisation process for homomorphic encryption is a key step towards wider acceptance and adoption of this important new encryption tool by industry and governments worldwide.”
HE allows AI computation on encrypted data, enabling data scientists and researchers to gain insights without decrypting or exposing the underlying data or models. This is particularly useful in instances where data may be sensitive – such as with medical or financial data.
“As a provider of a data science platform optimized for homomorphic encryption, we are excited to be working with Intel and Microsoft Research on this industry standardisation initiative,” says Kurt Rohloff, CTO and co-founder of Duality Technologies and associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “Homomorphic encryption standards are opening the market to a broad range of participants on all layers of the secure computing stack – industry, science, governments, academia, and beyond. Standards are accelerating the adoption of privacy-enhanced information sharing across regulated industries, helping reconcile data utility and data privacy.”