Swimming in data is a daily occurrence, with new data being generated continuously. Whether it’s the steps counted by your health app, the bio-metrics tracked by your Oura ring, or even the social media posts that may not get much attention, it all adds to the pool of valuable data desired by AI companies. Data is often referred to as the “new oil” in the quest for AI excellence. However, the challenge lies in monetizing personal data, as individuals lack leverage in the data market.

Vana steps in to address this issue. Anna Kazlauskas, co-founder of Vana and CEO of Open Data Labs, recognizes the significance of data ownership. She emphasizes the empowerment that comes from realizing you own your data and the potential it holds. By uniting with others who also own their data, individuals can gain bargaining power. Vana’s mission is to establish an ecosystem for user-owned data, which fuels user-owned AI.

The ecosystem includes Data DAOs, decentralized data marketplaces, the VRC-20 token, and a collaboration with Flower Labs to develop the world’s first user-owned foundational model. This collaboration has been highlighted by WIRED, indicating the rising prominence of Decentralized AI.

Kazlauskas envisions a future where over 100 million users will be part of this movement within a few years, eventually expanding to the entire global population. Emphasizing the importance of data ownership and the benefits it offers to developers, Kazlauskas champions the shift towards user-controlled data in the AI landscape.

Data DAOs function as a collective decision-making body for pooled data, enhancing its utility for training AI models. Various Data DAOs focused on health, biometrics, and other domains are gaining traction, offering promising avenues for research and development.

The collaboration with Flower Labs to build COLLECTIVE-1 signifies a shift towards practical implementation of user-owned models. By combining expertise in data and training, Vana and Flower Labs aim to democratize access to foundational AI models, enabling users to dictate the model’s purpose and usage.

The decentralization of AI not only aligns with ideological principles but also promises superior performance by leveraging diverse and expansive data sets. Through user-owned data and collaborative efforts, a decentralized approach to AI can offer innovative solutions that outshine traditional centralized models.

Excitement surrounds the future of decentralized AI, with the vision of democratizing data ownership and empowering users at the forefront. Anna Kazlauskas’ keynote at the AI Summit at Consensus 2025 will shed light on this transformative journey towards user-controlled AI. Talented host Jeff Wilser will guide the discussion, bringing the insights and aspirations of the decentralized AI community to the forefront.