Evaluate and Guard the Wisdom of Crowds: Zero Knowledge Proofs for Crowdsourcing Truth Inference

TL;DR

This paper introduces zkTI, a zero-knowledge proof-based protocol that ensures honest aggregation and fair evaluation in crowdsourcing, enhancing security and correctness in cloud computing tasks.

Contribution

The paper presents the first integration of zero-knowledge proofs with truth inference algorithms to verify honest aggregation and fair source evaluation in crowdsourcing.

Findings

Protocol guarantees honest aggregation and fair source evaluation.

Experimental results show efficiency and robustness.

Enhances security in crowdsourcing and cloud computing.

Abstract

Crowdsourcing has emerged as a prevalent method for mitigating the risks of correctness and security in outsourced cloud computing. This process involves an aggregator distributing tasks, collecting responses, and aggregating outcomes from multiple data sources. Such an approach harnesses the wisdom of crowds to accomplish complex tasks, enhancing the accuracy of task completion while diminishing the risks associated with the malicious actions of any single entity. However, a critical question arises: How can we ensure that the aggregator performs its role honestly and each contributor's input is fairly evaluated? In response to this challenge, we introduce a novel protocol termed $\mathsf{zkTI}. This scheme guarantees both the honest execution of the aggregation process by the aggregator and the fair evaluation of each data source. It innovatively integrates a cryptographic construct known as zero-knowledge proof with a category of truth inference algorithms for the first time. Under this protocol, the aggregation operates with both correctness and verifiability, while ensuring fair assessment of data source reliability. Experimental results demonstrate the protocol's efficiency and robustness, making it a viable and effective solution in crowdsourcing and cloud computing.