Tech-Savvy Santa Relies On AI, Blockchain & Cyber Security

Jingle bells, jingle bells,

Jingle all the way.

Oh how savvy it is to ride,

The AI and blockchain way!

Considering the prominence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain technology and cyber security in today’s world, perhaps Santa may want to test these technological advancements — they may allow him and his little helpers to deliver a more efficient Christmas!

Considering the following industry valuations, I’m sure Santa can capitalise on these technologies, to ensure Lapland’s workshop runs as efficiently as possible:

So how can Santa use these technologies, in order to efficiently understand a child’s wish-list, cross-check it with promises of good behaviour, and ensure all personal information is handled safely rather than compromised by the likes of Krampus?

• AI to assist Santa’s little helpers with choosing the best gift for a child, and calculate that gift’s demand:

Santa’s little helpers can use AI and machine learning to collect and analyse data that children generate when interacting with social media, game forums and other networks. This information can also be combined with large swaths of data including demographic data of children, family income, number of siblings, school performance data, development areas, etc.  The application of machine learning will assist Santa’s helpers to forecast the demand for gifts, and thus aid the manufacturing and distribution process.  The next stage involves combining this with natural language understanding (NLU) from conversations between children and their teachers, parents and guardians.  The conversation would involve the ways in which a child promises to be a good boy or girl, in order for Santa to bring him/her a gift from the child’s wish-list.

• Blockchain technology to ensure gifts are only given to those of us who deserve them:

The outcome of the data collection, analysis, and conversation would be the creation of a smart contract between the child and Santa.  This smart contract, created by Santa’s helpers, would verify that the child will receive the desired Christmas gift as long as the child’s promises were carried out.  This smart contract also prevents Krampus and anyone else from changing a child’s wish-list, promises, and Santa’s promise to deliver the gift with his reindeer.

• Cyber security to ensure the children’s personal data, promises and wish-list are (amongst other things):
  • Stored securely in Santa’s Lapland workshop, e.g. encrypted hard drives.
  • Accessible only to authorised Santa’s little helpers, including the elves and reindeers, e.g. whitelisting.
  • Securely transmitted between the workshop’s central computer, the electronic notepads used by Santa and his little helpers, as well as the GPS devices used by the reindeers, and Santa’s personal log, e.g. using the TLS protocol.

While we’re at it, let’s have Santa and his little helpers comply with GDPR:

According to GDPR, the children would be classified as data subjects.  For Santa and his reindeer to deliver gifts to the children (residing globally), he and his little helpers must maintain a list of the children, parent/guardian information, etc.  As part of the AI and blockchain solutions, the personal data processed and stored would include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Address (with an accessible chimney)
• Christmas wish-list
• Good behaviour analytics
• Conversations between children, parents/guardians and teachers
• Parental/guardian information

Considering the global nature of Lapland’s operation, I would recommend for Santa to hire an elf as the Data Protection Officer (DPO), to ensure Lapland meets the GDPR requirements.  For example, this elf would need to conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) as the processing of all the Christmas information can result in a high risk to the children.  Information would need to be handled in a secure manner.  For example, not all the elves would need to know a child’s address.  Access to the address information would be restricted to those elves who assist with the wrapping and distribution.  Of course, the reindeers would also need to be aware.

The use of AI, blockchain and cyber security, can elevate Santa’s efficiency to new heights, resulting in an improved service to children around the world, and their parents/guardians.  With GDPR in-mind, these new technologically advanced services can understand a child’s wish-list, cross-check it with promises of good behaviour, and ensure all personal information is handled safely.  The result is a happy Christmas for everyone!