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.
Vana on Twitter/X:
• Vana ecosystem: vana.com
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