As Britain’s political class gathered in Liverpool this week for the Labour Party’s annual conference, blockchain advocacy also took the stage. Solana Superteam UK, the local arm of the Solana ecosystem’s support network, hosted a side event on 29 September showcasing how blockchain could enhance trust and accountability in artificial intelligence.

The discussion, held in collaboration with Labour Tech, a newly founded think tank guiding Labour’s technology agenda brought together researchers, investors and builders to explore how decentralisation might solve one of AI’s most pressing issues: transparency. Partners for the session included Fabric Ventures, GSR and Syntagma Labs.

AI’s Growing Trust Deficit

In recent months, public discourse around artificial intelligence has turned from excitement to anxiety. Centralised AI models, typically run by Big Tech giants, face increasing criticism over opaque decision-making processes, data privacy risks and the misuse of generated content. This “trust crisis” in AI was highlighted in a report presented by Solana Superteam UK at the event.

The paper outlined how blockchains, with their immutable ledgers and public verifiability, could provide a foundation for restoring confidence. Transparency, it argued, is inherent to decentralised systems, something missing from today’s AI industry, which is dominated by proprietary systems.

Blockchain Use Cases for AI Governance

Examples of blockchain-based solutions are already emerging. Numbers Protocol, a decentralised platform focused on content provenance, was presented as a model for addressing intellectual property concerns in AI training. By ensuring creators can trace how their work is used, such systems may help balance innovation with rights protection.

Other highlighted projects included Autonolas and Fetch.AI, which are developing decentralised governance frameworks for AI. These initiatives aim to give users and stakeholders more say in how algorithms are developed, deployed and monitored, a sharp contrast to the top-down approach of today’s corporate-controlled AI platforms.

Labour Tech and Policy Engagement

For Solana and its partners, the event was not only a showcase of technology but also a lobbying effort. As the Labour Party edges closer to the next general election with polls in its favour, shaping its approach to technology regulation could have significant consequences for Web3 projects operating in the UK.

Labour Tech, the think tank co-organising the event, has positioned itself as a hub for new technology policy ideas within the party. By engaging with blockchain proponents at its conference, Labour members were exposed to alternative visions for managing AI’s risks.

Decentralised AI Faces Scepticism

Despite the optimism, not everyone at the conference was convinced that decentralisation is the silver bullet. The Solana report itself noted widespread scepticism about decentralised AI models as a practical replacement for the highly efficient, centralised systems run by companies such as OpenAI and Google.

Projects like BitTensor, which attempt to build distributed AI networks, remain on the margins due to performance constraints and slower processing speeds. Many experts interviewed argued that ideological commitments to decentralisation often outweigh pragmatic considerations of scalability and usability.

For now, blockchain’s most promising role in AI may lie in niche applications like provenance tracking and governance, rather than serving as a full-scale alternative to Big Tech platforms.

Outlook: Policy and Technology on Collision Course

The event in Liverpool illustrates how blockchain advocates are seeking a seat at the table as governments and political parties grapple with regulating AI. By framing decentralisation as a solution to the trust deficit in artificial intelligence, Solana and its partners are pitching Web3 not just as a financial innovation but as a governance tool for the next era of technology.

Whether Labour integrates such ideas into its policy platform remains uncertain. But the conversation signals that blockchain’s influence is extending well beyond crypto markets and into the political debates shaping the UK’s digital future.