In this exhibition,‘uses’ refers to all existing and speculative (future) functions and technologies in which Secure Multiparty Computation (MPC) and other cryptographic technologies are put into use. Think of it as cryptography in practice, or what engineers call ‘use-cases’, that is, a specific situation in which cryptography is or could potentially be used. 

Secure Multiparty Computation has, for example, been used to analyze gender pay gaps and to manage fair auctions. In the exhibition´s VR experience, we suggest it can be used to analyze electricity use. All of these examples enable analysis without ever disclosing data to anyone. 

“[Secure Multiparty Computation (MPC) is] socially very useful. But it doesn’t have any business commercial vibe (…) If I were a Goldman Sachs banker (…) it’s not actionable in any way that I can make money”.

-applied cryptographer

What counts as useful? 

We can imagine many uses, but with each implementation, cryptography meets society. Putting cryptography to use implies translation and asks us to determine what counts as “useful”.

To learn more about uses, we recommend that you read “Callisto: a cryptographic approach to detecting serial perpetrators of sexual misconduct” (2018) by Anjana Rajan, Lucy Qin, David W Archer, Dan Boneh, Tancrede Lepoint, Mayank Varia.

In this exhibition,‘uses’ refers to all existing and speculative (future) functions and technologies in which Secure Multiparty Computation (MPC) and other cryptographic technologies are put into use. Think of it as cryptography in practice, or what engineers call ‘use-cases’, that is, a specific situation in which cryptography is or could potentially be used. 

Secure Multiparty Computation has, for example, been used to analyze gender pay gaps and to manage fair auctions. In the exhibition´s VR experience, we suggest it can be used to analyze electricity use. All of these examples enable analysis without ever disclosing data to anyone. 

“[Secure Multiparty Computation (MPC) is] socially very useful. But it doesn’t have any business commercial vibe (…) If I were a Goldman Sachs banker (…) it’s not actionable in any way that I can make money”.

-applied cryptographer

What counts as useful? 

We can imagine many uses, but with each implementation, cryptography meets society. Putting cryptography to use implies translation and asks us to determine what counts as “useful”.

To learn more about uses, we recommend that you read “Callisto: a cryptographic approach to detecting serial perpetrators of sexual misconduct” (2018) by Anjana Rajan, Lucy Qin, David W Archer, Dan Boneh, Tancrede Lepoint, Mayank Varia.