In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we dive deep into the evolution of decentralized AI with Ramesh Raskar, Associate Professor at the MIT Media Lab and advisor to Vana.

We explore why decentralized AI isn’t a rival to centralized AI—but a natural next step. Ramesh outlines a five-phase framework for the evolution of intelligent systems, moving from the “mainframe era” to the emerging “web of AI agents.” Along the way, we discuss how decentralized systems can address problems of data ownership, incentive design, verifiability, and user experience.

Whether you’re interested in AI agents, blockchain, data sovereignty, or the ethics of AI infrastructure, this episode provides a high-level vision with real-world applications... from a credible AI researcher who's far from a kool-aid drinking crypto-bro.

Timestamps:

4:46 – Mainframe vs PC: A mental model for AI evolution

6:01 – From intranet to internet to the “web of AI agents”

9:13 – Limits of centralized AI

12:08 – Market forces, decentralization, and the economy of AI agents

13:21 – The four pillars of decentralized AI

16:41 – Proof of inference, verifiability, and trust in AI

18:14 – Rethinking UX in an agentic future

21:21 – Do we need standards? Or will AI agents just adapt?

25:27 – A case study of how Vana addresses the four pillars

28:21 – A look at the future: agent schools, decentralized labor, and AI socialization

32:58 – How Web3 could accelerate progress in entrenched sectors

33:37 – The biggest challenges to achieving this vision

MIT Media Lab's Decentralized AI Project

https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/decentralized-ai/overview/

Horizon 2023 | Ramesh Raskar | MIT Decentralized AI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSSffQsbFo4

About Vana:

Vana's vision is for user-owned AI through user owned-data. Its mission is to be the world's first open protocol for data sovereignty.

https://linktr.ee/vanahq

Vana on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/vana

• Vana ecosystem: vana.com

Vana introduces VRC 20 Token

In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we explore the frontier of Data DAOs — decentralized projects that empower people to take control of their data and get rewarded when it’s used to train AI.

Our data is everywhere—sleep tracked by Oura rings, heart rates logged by smartwatches, comments posted on Reddit, even the layout of our homes as mapped by Roombas. Until now, most of that data has been hoovered up by tech giants, often without our knowledge or consent, and then used to train AI models. Data DAOs -- part of the Vana ecosystem -- flip that script. They allow us to contribute our data voluntarily, protect our privacy, and get compensated in return.

We feature two real-world examples of this in action. First, we speak with Veronica Kirin of Asterisk DAO (08:25), which aims to correct the long-standing gender bias in medical research by creating a privacy-preserving pool of non-reproductive women’s health data. We dig into the history of how women were excluded from clinical trials until as recently as 1993 (10:01), how Asterisk plans to bring this missing data to clinicians and AI developers, and how tokenization lets women “vote” on their own healthcare outcomes for the first time (19:18). Veronica also explains their phased rollout: the MVP app (23:32), future plans to integrate wearables (21:45), and AI tools that surface personalized trends and emotional insights over time (17:17).

Next, we talk to Ryan Kuhel, founder of DLP Labs (32:23), which is turning car telemetry data—everything from battery life to braking patterns—into a valuable asset for drivers. Ryan explains how drivers can join DLP’s “data liquidity pool,” contributing their vehicle data and getting rewarded in tokens. We break down who actually uses car data (39:41)—battery companies, insurance firms, city planners—and why most drivers don’t realize their data is already being monetized without them. Ryan also shares insights from DLP’s explosive growth after launch (45:23), how it ties into the Vana ecosystem (55:46), and how this model could extend to self-driving car training, ride-share companies in emerging markets, and beyond.

To learn more or get involved:

• Asterisk DAO: asteriskdao.xyz

• DLP Labs: dlplabs.ai

ABOUT VANA:

Vana's vision is for user-owned AI through user owned-data. Its mission is to be the world's first open protocol for data sovereignty.

https://linktr.ee/vanahq

Vana on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/vana

• Vana ecosystem: vana.com

The People's AI on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/The_Peoples_AI

Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLiYlJulQIcmvCjnVRYotw

Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/jeffwilser

DeFi promised to make finance more accessible, but has it lived up to that vision? In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we explore how AI agents are reshaping decentralized finance (DeFi) and whether they can simplify complex yield farming, crypto investing, and smart contracts for everyday users.

We’re joined by Renç Korzay, co-founder of Giza, a project at the forefront of AI-powered DeFi automation. We discuss how AI can improve DeFi accessibility, optimize financial transactions, and bring new users into Web3. But what are the risks? If blockchain transactions are immutable, how do we ensure AI agents don’t make costly mistakes?

Topics Covered:

• The challenges of DeFi adoption and why it remains difficult for most users

• How AI trading bots and autonomous financial agents could change crypto investing

• The risks and benefits of AI-driven DeFi platforms

• Whether AI in finance can finally deliver on DeFi’s original promise

• The future of DeFi 2.0, AI-powered trading, and decentralized AI protocols

Timestamps:

📌 00:00 – Intro to The People’s AI and today’s topic: AI + DeFi = DeFAI

📌 02:30 – The biggest problems with DeFi today

📌 05:00 – Can AI make DeFi more accessible?

📌 10:00 – How AI trading bots optimize DeFi investments

📌 15:00 – The risks of AI in crypto: Can AI agents make mistakes?

📌 20:00 – The future of autonomous finance and its impact on Web3

If you’re interested in crypto, Web3, AI investing, and automated trading, this episode explores what’s next for AI-powered DeFi and the evolving world of decentralized AI protocols.

More on Giza:

https://gizatech.xyz/

Renç Korzay on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/renckorzay

About Vana:

Vana's vision is for user-owned AI through user owned-data. Its mission is to be the world's first open protocol for data sovereignty.

More on Vana:

https://linktr.ee/vanahq

Vana on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/vana

The People's AI on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/The_Peoples_AI

Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLiYlJulQIcmvCjnVRYotw

Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/jeffwilser