November 11, 2025 • 24 mins
Welcome back to How I AI. In this solo episode, I’m sharing my full download from the Blockchain Futurist Conference in Miami, where I spent the day surrounded by founders, futurists, and creatives shaping the next wave of AI and Web3 innovation.
From autonomous agents and AI-to-AI payments to digital identity, ownership, and creative collaboration, this episode breaks down the key quotes, takeaways, and insights that stood out most.
This is a fast, honest breakdown of the ideas that matter most and why they’re going to shape how we build in 2025 and 2026.
- The rise of autonomous agents and what “intent” really means
- Why AI search is becoming the new homepage
- How blockchain ties into IP, royalties, and digital ownership
- Why kids and seniors are adopting AI faster than we think
- The new rules of trust, transparency, and verifiability in AI
Resources Mentioned:
- Delphi AI – David Ghiyam’s AI spiritual coaching platform
- Blockchain Futurist Conference Speaker List – View the full lineup of speakers and panels
Ready to cut through the AI overwhelm?
- Explore all my resources in one place → https://stan.store/BRXSTUDIO
Free AI Guide • 45-Minute AI Audit • AI Community • Custom GPT - Step into The Collective’s 7-Day Free Trial and unlock instant access to our AI Mastery Challenge, a vault of high-level trainings, and recordings from our most mind-shifting webinars.
If you enjoy this episode, please rate and review the show. Sharing it with a friend who’s AI-curious helps this growing brand reach more people.
More About Brooke:
Website: brookex.com
LinkedIn: Brooke Gramer
More About the Podcast:
Instagram: howiai.podcast
Website: howiaipodcast.com
"How I AI" is a concept and podcast series created and produced by Brooke Gramer of EmpowerFlow Strategies LLC. All rights reserved.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brooke (00:00):
Last week I attended the blockchain Futurist conference
here in Miami, and I foundmyself in the room with some of
the brightest minds in tech.
And today I'm gonna unpack allof it for you.
Welcome to How I AI the podcastfeaturing real people, real
stories, and real AI in action.
(00:22):
Hi, I'm Brooke Gramer, your hostand guide on this journey of the
real world impact of artificialintelligence.
For over 15 years, I've workedin creative marketing events and
business strategy, wearing allthe hats.
I know the struggle of trying toscale and manage all things
without burning out, but here'sthe game changer, AI.
(00:44):
This isn't just a podcast.
How I AI is a community, a spacewhere curious minds like you
come together, share ideas, andI'll also bring you exclusive
discounts, and insiderresources, because AI isn't just
a trend, it's a shift, and thesooner we embrace it, the more
freedom, creativity, andopportunities will unlock.
(01:08):
Welcome back to How I AI I'myour host, Brooke Gramer.
Today I have a very special soloepisode.
It's been a while since wechatted one-on-one, and I wanted
to take you behind the scenes ofeverything I saw, I heard, and
learned at this year's AIFuturist Conference.
Before we dive in, I have a fewquick housekeeping notes, first
(01:30):
off, I've been getting so manymessages from friends and
members in my community reachingout on how exactly they can
pivot, start building, and usingAI in their workflow, or build
out their technology stackwithout feeling intimidated.
So if you're new here, I'vebuilt a free AI Get Started
(01:51):
guide, and it's listed inside myStan store, along with my
favorite newsletter resources,helpful links, and terms to
know, so that AI feels way lessintimidating.
You can grab that link in theshow notes below.
Secondly, I just wanna share apersonal update on tech i'm
loving.
I recently learned about DelphiAI through a spiritual coach,
(02:14):
David Ghiyam, and he created thetool David Ai.
And for those of you who don'tknow, Delphi AI helps you create
your digital mind.
Think about building a digitalversion of you or a clone of
your intellectual property, andthen you can use it to scale
your expertise and availability.
(02:34):
Think about how hard it is toscale one-on-one coaching, but
if you have enough data andrecorded conversations or
previous teaching or seminars,you're able to upload it into a
tool like Delphi AI and monetizeyour knowledge.
So I really wanted to sharebecause Ghiyam has found so much
(02:56):
success using this tool, and Ithink it's the future of thought
leadership, of coaching.
I'll link Delphi AI below so youcan look into, maybe other
thought leaders and coaches youlike are already on there and
you can already start using it.
I love sharing about thesethings because I'm always
learning and working onself-improvement.
(03:18):
Uh, another way that I've beenusing AI recently is whenever I
have webinars I'm attending or,uh, group calls, I am always
transcribing it and using it asmy own personal note taker, and
this way I can upload it into myLLMs and of course keep it
private, and use it for my ownpersonal use to then reflect
(03:40):
back and almost like create adigital coach that way where I'm
able to recall all of our weeklymeetings, and use it for myself
moving forward, even after thecontainer closes.
Last but not least, before weget started into the conference
recap, I wanted to share that mypodcast is fully booked until
(04:02):
the end of January, which I amso grateful for.
So that means I'm putting morefocus and energy and attention
into creative collaborations.
I'm thinking of putting onanother event here in Miami, and
I've been working a lot on myupcoming products that are gonna
be dropping soon inside my Stanstore.
(04:22):
One I created this week was apublic library of my favorite
custom GPTs ones that arereadily free and available.
I've also been brainstormingwith some AI adoption playbooks
and frameworks that can help youwith accountability and
momentum.
You know how AI isn't just aboutai how-tos or tutorials, it
(04:45):
really is about reimagining yourlife with AI as your co-pilot.
So I can't thank you enough forbeing a part of this community.
Every download or share helpsthis podcast reach more people,
so don't forget to rate andreview.
Okay.
Really quickly, I do wanna teasesome upcoming episodes, um, some
(05:05):
really cool guests I have comingthrough between now and the end
of the year.
I interviewed the CEO ofConductor.
You might've seen that runninglist come out in the last month
of the top users of ChatGPT, andthey're on there.
That conversation was reallygood.
We talked a lot about SEO andthe age of AI, search and
visibility.
I'll also share an episode aboutthe intersection of AI and
(05:29):
biohacking as I recentlyattended a biohacking conference
here in Miami, and I also had areally incredible interview with
the Chief AI Officer of eMergeAmericas, and he's spearheading
the Miami AI Summit, which ishappening during Art Basel Week
here in Miami.
I'll also be attending that anddoing another recap on those
(05:52):
conversations as well.
If you haven't noticed, I loveattending conferences and
listening in on panels andmoderating some of my own here
in Miami.
If you ever want coverage orneed someone to help support
your panel curation or moderatea talk, don't hesitate to reach
out to me.
All right, let's get intotoday's episode.
(06:15):
So this year's BlockchainFuturist conference was held at
the Hard Rock here in SouthFlorida, and it offered a
glimpse into how Web3 AI andhuman creativity are starting to
braid together.
The conference is hosted byBlockchain North and it's
Canada's longest running Web3event.
It's in its ninth year.
(06:35):
I got a chance to meet theproduction team.
They were so sweet.
I love Canadians.
Shout out to all my Canadianlisteners and so they were
speaking about everything fromautonomous agents and
decentralized infrastructure towomen in Web3, AI creativity,
digital finance, art and IPprotection.
(07:00):
Also, really big shout out tothe VC of the day, Lalla of
SheAgentic.
She was so sweet and she let mespeak to the room for a bit as
well, and each of these panelshad its own flavor and focal
point, but together they paintedthis really powerful picture of
where we're headed as a societyand what creators, founders, and
(07:21):
small businesses can be doingright now.
To stay ahead.
I'm gonna run through each ofthese panels now, starting with
the first one, which was calledAgentic AI: The Next Leap Toward
Autonomous Systems.
This featured Shaw Walters, thefounder of Eliza Labs.
Dylan Dewdney from Kuvi.ai.
(07:42):
Janet Adams of Artificial SuperIntelligence.
Jay Rogers at Infineo and AliceShikova at Space ID.
All of these panelists live deepin the agent world.
Think digital assistance, thatdon't just respond, but actually
act on your behalf.
They chatted about agentscontrolling our wallets and how
(08:04):
it will impact the financialmarket.
One share was how not long agoit was very scary to put our
credit card on the internet tomake a payment, and now here we
are and we're having agents makepurchasing decisions on our
behalf.
They shared we already have thefinancial rails.
(08:25):
The next frontier is intent.
Teaching machines to understandwhat we want and act on it
safely.
They followed with a predictionthat within 12 months,
autonomous agents will betrading and executing
successfully on their own.
What struck me most about thispanel was how they talked about
trust.
(08:45):
The real bottleneck isn'tcapability.
It's whether we'll let go enoughcontrol to get these agents to
do their jobs.
A key takeaway that they gavewas, if you're running a small
business or a creative studio,pick one repetitive task like
lead follow ups or research andbuild a mini agent around it.
(09:06):
Treat it like an intern, give itboundaries, feedback, and a
clear goal.
Those who start to learn tomanage agents will replace those
who don't.
We're already seeing this happenin the workforce, and it's one
of the biggest skills that youcan have moving forward into
2026.
The next talk was with Lisa Loudof the Secret Network.
(09:28):
I loved her discussion.
Her talk was about growing yourglobal impact, and she was
really raw and honest.
She's been a long time advocatefor privacy tech and Web3
inclusion.
She discussed the genderdisparity in AI adoption and
Web3 leadership noting thatwhile men are embracing new AI
(09:50):
careers, women are reallyunderrepresented she encourages
women to enter Web3, despite themale dominance culture, as it's
definitely gonna turbochargeyour career.
Lisa also touched on howimportant it is to be resilient
in these times.
She shared a quote and said,chaos leads to opportunity and
(10:13):
emphasized the importance ofreally leaning into this blue
ocean space.
And it's something that's reallynear and dear to my heart
because I'm all about empoweringand encouraging individuals to
pivot during this rapidtechnological change of chaos,
which is in fact breedingincredible opportunity.
(10:36):
And as I mentioned, stay on thelookout as I release more offers
and products and resourcesaround specifically pivoting and
reimagining yourself and yourcareer in the age of ai.
We then shifted to a panelcalled Co-Creating the Future AI
and the Power of HumanCreativity.
(10:56):
This one featured Zachary Nelsonof Genizo Media.
Warren Calove of Go Arlo andTony Evans, co-founder of CETI.
I love this session because itwas all creative philosophy.
Warren said, AI should augmentimagination, not replace it.
(11:16):
They explore the tension betweenautomation and artistry.
How tools like Chat GPT orMidjourney can help you
brainstorm faster, but realoriginality still comes from
discomfort, from being human.
They talked about how humancreativity often involves
breaking patterns and tappinginto new ideas which AI
(11:38):
currently can't replace.
They touched on how humanartists and innovators can adapt
to AI technology, suggestingthat those who embrace it truly
will survive while other artistsmay fade out.
They again, really honed in thatfact that human imperfections
(11:59):
and contradictions to repetitivecreative patterns are really
going to be the beautiful,unique artistic elements and
outcomes that AI cannot achieve.
One interesting point that cameup multiple times throughout the
day was this thought about dataroyalties and traceability.
(12:22):
This group discussed ethicalconsiderations around ai,
generative creative work, andsuggested things like royalties
could help solve the problem.
Someone in the audience alsoasked about education, the
discussion highlighted theimportance of teaching students
to critically evaluate AIoutputs and to understand its
(12:42):
limitations.
They said, we need to teach kidshow to question ai, not just how
to use it.
This panel was really in depth,but the key takeaway really was
if you're building with ai, keepthe imperfection in the process.
Those quirks and humanfingerprints are really where
the value lives.
(13:02):
After that talk was ElenaSinelnikova.
She's the co-founder of CryptoChicks and Metis.
She presented on the FuturePayment Hub for AI agents.
This talk was surprisinglyaccessible.
She explained how their team isbuilding a new layer for AI to
AI payments, basically lettingdigital agents transact with
(13:25):
each other using blockchaininfrastructure.
If you listen to my episode withChairman Bowdre not too long
ago, you know, I have recentlycovered this topic.
She broke down her platform intofour phases, building trust,
controlling budgets, connectingsystems, and then scaling cross
(13:46):
currency.
Elena discussed the future of AIand its potential to automate
work.
Suggesting that AI will play asignificant role and shaping the
economy through AI to AIpayment.
She emphasized the importance ofintegrating AI into the internet
to build a sustainable future.
She stated, AI will shape theeconomy through automation and
(14:07):
collaboration if we teachsystems how to pay each other.
In summary, if agents are doingthe work, they'll also need
wallets.
The next panel was on the SmartMoney Era, AI and the Evolution
of Digital Finance.
This was with Reed Baum fromSarson Funds Antonio Brasse from
(14:27):
BlockQuake and Keeyan Ravanshidfrom HODL Markets.
This talk focused on complianceand regulation their big message
was we're entering an age wherefinancial decisions are made by
algorithms, but accountabilitystill belongs to us humans.
Transparency is the new alpha,meaning in a world run by code.
(14:49):
The edge isn't secrecy anymore,it's clarity.
Antonio echoed that he warnedthat too many FinTech founders
hide behind complexity insteadof building trust.
The key takeaway here is whetheryou're managing investments or
running a small businessdocument your data sources
automate transparency first.
(15:10):
It's gonna build trust fasterthan any branding campaign ever
will.
After that was a reallyinteresting talk called Digital
Expression (15:17):
The Convergence of AI and Art.
This one gathered Gianni fromPurple Horizon's Lab and Erik
LaPaglia from NextTech Ventures,plus a few Miami locals
including Jenny DeMurta, a Miaminative.
She introduced herself as a fanof crypto and emerging
(15:38):
technologies and discussed herinterest in the convergence of
AI and art.
On that panel was also ScarletArana.
She shared her role as theco-founder of Bit Basel, one of
the largest Web3 art fairs.
They kicked off talking about aproject called Intuition, a moon
based data center that literallystores art on the moon.
(16:04):
Gianna shared AI is disruptingtraditional art forms, but it's
also giving birth to completelynew mediums, we're finally
seeing AI as a partner in thecreative process, not just a
tool.
This group also touched onblockchain's role in protecting
intellectual property, ensuringartists retain credit and
royalties even as contentbecomes harder to trace.
(16:28):
This really emphasizes thatdecentralized AI with blockchain
ensures proof of ownership,preventing misuse of content
like profiles, and highlightingthe need for creators to
understand this conversionpoint.
That blockchain could be themost effective solution for
these issues.
How I AI is brought to you inpartnership with the Collective
(16:50):
AI, A space designed toaccelerate your learning and AI
adoption.
I joined the collective and it'scompletely catapulted my
learning, expanded my network,and showed me what's possible
with ai.
Whether you're just starting outseeking community or want done
for you solutions, TheCollective gives you the
resources to grow your businesswith AI.
(17:13):
I then broke for lunch and cameback to a fascinating block of
talks about ownership, privacy,and legacy.
This is where the conversationreally shifted from what AI can
do to who controls what itcreates.
The next talk was called HowDEFAI Transforms Inheritance:
Presented by Heir.es.
(17:34):
The session was led by LoganGolema, the founder of Heir.is.
Picture Defi meets estateplanning startup.
Think trust funds and willsmanaged by AI agents.
Logan asks the audience toimagine something wild but
logical.
If AI can manage your portfoliowhile you're alive, why can't it
(17:55):
manage your legacy when you'regone?
He walked us through how AIagents can track digital assets
across chains, file paperwork,and even handle end of life data
with transparency.
The key takeaway here was tostart thinking about your
digital inheritance now, yourphotos, your crypto, business
(18:16):
automations, those are all nowpart of your estate.
Make sure someone, whether it'shuman or ai, knows where they
live and how to access them.
The next panel was calledUnlocking the Billions
Democratizing IP Via NFTs AI andcrowdfunded patents.
This one featured Sam Drissi,co-founder of Artizyou and
(18:39):
BIPQuantum.
I really love this presentationbecause it's such a big shift
that we are all entering.
Sam's mission is to makeintellectual property protection
accessible for everyone no giantlaw firm required.
He gave a presentation about hisplatform that enables content
(19:00):
creators to license their workacross multiple marketplaces.
He walked us through a reallysimplified AI driven process.
The platform aims to automate IPprotection and licensing,
offering features likegenerating NFTs for multiple
marketplaces and providing onchain and off chain proof of
(19:21):
ownership.
His platform is open sourced incollaboration with the EMX
Foundation, and users can createand manage their IP with ease,
including their own software,algorithms, and creative works.
He said it best.
The future assets aren't aboutmoney.
It's about knowledge in yourhead.
(19:42):
He really did a great jobshowcasing his platform that
mints and patents and copyrightsthe NFTs so creators can license
and monetize their workdirectly.
A big focus was on fractionalownership, letting multiple
investors hold pieces of an ideaor an invention.
So if you create content, art,or code, start documenting your
(20:06):
process.
The line between inspiration andinfringement is about to get
very thin, and proof of originis power.
The last panel I attended wascalled the Infrastructure Behind
Intelligence (20:18):
Scaling AI with Privacy and Trust.
This one was more technical.
It was led by Rohan Handa fromMysten Labs and George Varghese
from 0G Labs.
It also included Charlene Wangof Zyphe and Andrew Smith of
Formation AI Labs.
(20:39):
It was moderated by Anewbiz fromthe Secret Network.
They really dug into theplumbing, the systems that keep
AI private, efficient andverifiable They stated that AI
is scaling exponentially, butit's too centralized and too
leaky.
We need infrastructure thattreats privacy as a feature, not
(21:00):
an afterthought.
They talked about cryptographicproofs, decentralized storage,
and open audit trails, basicallymaking AI's reasoning visible.
They reframed it this way.
The moat is trust andverifiability.
The key takeaway here waswhether you're coding or
consulting, transparency buildslongevity.
(21:22):
People will choose tools andbrands they can verify.
After the panel breakouts, Ialso met some incredible people
walking the expo floor.
I met Dyrique Mendoza of FinTechUSA, teaching kids about
cryptocurrency and financialliteracy.
He told me kids alreadyunderstand digital currency
(21:44):
through games like Roblox andFortnite.
They just call digital currencyRobux and V-Bucks, and they
already know things like Bitcoinat a very young age.
It's such a simple idea.
Meet them where they're at andplay.
He's designing programs thatbridge gaming, crypto safety,
and career readiness in AI.
(22:06):
It reminded me that educationisn't falling behind.
It is evolving in unexpectedplaces, and the next generation
is learning faster than wethink.
Our job is to make sure they'relearning ethically and safely.
And speaking of people doingincredible work, one of the most
inspiring connections I made waswith Sanda Adams.
She's the co-founder ofOnboard60 consulting and
(22:29):
counseling services.
She's building digital literacyprograms for senior citizens,
helping older adults navigatetech with confidence from online
banking to basic AI tools.
Her tagline is, empowermentdoesn't have an age limit.
I love that so much.
(22:49):
I told her on the spot, I wanther to be on the podcast next
year, so watch for that in 2026,it's happening.
In summary, if there was asingle theme that threaded
throughout the whole conference,it was this: AI isn't coming for
us, it's coming from us.
It is our design, our data, ourvalues, shaping this next era.
(23:13):
So that's my download from theBlockchain Futurist Conference
2025 in Miami.
I left feeling inspired by howmany people are building
responsibly, creatively, andcollaboratively.
We're not spectators anymore,we're participants.
If any of these panels sparkedan idea for you or you want to
dive deeper into one of thespeakers, I'll have the links
(23:35):
and names listed in the shownotes.
All right everyone.
That's it for today's soloepisode.
If this conversation helped yousee AI differently, share it
with one person who would loveit, and make sure to subscribe
so you don't miss out on what'scoming next.
See you on the next episode ofHow I AI.
Wow, I hope today's episodeopened your mind to what's
(23:58):
possible with ai.
Do you have a cool use case onhow you're using AI and want to
share it?
DM me.
I'd love to hear more andfeature you on my next podcast.
Until next time, here's toworking smarter, not harder.
See you on the next episode ofHow I AI.
This episode was made possiblein partnership with the
Collective AI, a communitydesigned to help entrepreneurs,
(24:22):
creators, and professionalsseamlessly integrate AI into
their workflows.
One of the biggest game changersin my own AI journey was joining
this space.
It's where I learned, connectedand truly enhanced my
understanding of what's possiblewith AI.
And the best part, they offermultiple membership levels to
meet you where you are.
(24:42):
Whether you want to DIY, your AIlearning or work with a
personalized AI consultant foryour business, The Collective
has you covered.
Learn more and sign up using myexclusive link in the show
notes.
Last week I attended the blockchain Futurist conference
here in Miami, and I foundmyself in the room with some of
the brightest minds in tech.
And today I'm gonna unpack allof it for you.
Welcome to How I AI the podcastfeaturing real people, real
stories, and real AI in action.
(00:22):
Hi, I'm Brooke Gramer, your hostand guide on this journey of the
real world impact of artificialintelligence.
For over 15 years, I've workedin creative marketing events and
business strategy, wearing allthe hats.
I know the struggle of trying toscale and manage all things
without burning out, but here'sthe game changer, AI.
(00:44):
This isn't just a podcast.
How I AI is a community, a spacewhere curious minds like you
come together, share ideas, andI'll also bring you exclusive
discounts, and insiderresources, because AI isn't just
a trend, it's a shift, and thesooner we embrace it, the more
freedom, creativity, andopportunities will unlock.
(01:08):
Welcome back to How I AI I'myour host, Brooke Gramer.
Today I have a very special soloepisode.
It's been a while since wechatted one-on-one, and I wanted
to take you behind the scenes ofeverything I saw, I heard, and
learned at this year's AIFuturist Conference.
Before we dive in, I have a fewquick housekeeping notes, first
(01:30):
off, I've been getting so manymessages from friends and
members in my community reachingout on how exactly they can
pivot, start building, and usingAI in their workflow, or build
out their technology stackwithout feeling intimidated.
So if you're new here, I'vebuilt a free AI Get Started
(01:51):
guide, and it's listed inside myStan store, along with my
favorite newsletter resources,helpful links, and terms to
know, so that AI feels way lessintimidating.
You can grab that link in theshow notes below.
Secondly, I just wanna share apersonal update on tech i'm
loving.
I recently learned about DelphiAI through a spiritual coach,
(02:14):
David Ghiyam, and he created thetool David Ai.
And for those of you who don'tknow, Delphi AI helps you create
your digital mind.
Think about building a digitalversion of you or a clone of
your intellectual property, andthen you can use it to scale
your expertise and availability.
(02:34):
Think about how hard it is toscale one-on-one coaching, but
if you have enough data andrecorded conversations or
previous teaching or seminars,you're able to upload it into a
tool like Delphi AI and monetizeyour knowledge.
So I really wanted to sharebecause Ghiyam has found so much
(02:56):
success using this tool, and Ithink it's the future of thought
leadership, of coaching.
I'll link Delphi AI below so youcan look into, maybe other
thought leaders and coaches youlike are already on there and
you can already start using it.
I love sharing about thesethings because I'm always
learning and working onself-improvement.
(03:18):
Uh, another way that I've beenusing AI recently is whenever I
have webinars I'm attending or,uh, group calls, I am always
transcribing it and using it asmy own personal note taker, and
this way I can upload it into myLLMs and of course keep it
private, and use it for my ownpersonal use to then reflect
(03:40):
back and almost like create adigital coach that way where I'm
able to recall all of our weeklymeetings, and use it for myself
moving forward, even after thecontainer closes.
Last but not least, before weget started into the conference
recap, I wanted to share that mypodcast is fully booked until
(04:02):
the end of January, which I amso grateful for.
So that means I'm putting morefocus and energy and attention
into creative collaborations.
I'm thinking of putting onanother event here in Miami, and
I've been working a lot on myupcoming products that are gonna
be dropping soon inside my Stanstore.
(04:22):
One I created this week was apublic library of my favorite
custom GPTs ones that arereadily free and available.
I've also been brainstormingwith some AI adoption playbooks
and frameworks that can help youwith accountability and
momentum.
You know how AI isn't just aboutai how-tos or tutorials, it
(04:45):
really is about reimagining yourlife with AI as your co-pilot.
So I can't thank you enough forbeing a part of this community.
Every download or share helpsthis podcast reach more people,
so don't forget to rate andreview.
Okay.
Really quickly, I do wanna teasesome upcoming episodes, um, some
(05:05):
really cool guests I have comingthrough between now and the end
of the year.
I interviewed the CEO ofConductor.
You might've seen that runninglist come out in the last month
of the top users of ChatGPT, andthey're on there.
That conversation was reallygood.
We talked a lot about SEO andthe age of AI, search and
visibility.
I'll also share an episode aboutthe intersection of AI and
(05:29):
biohacking as I recentlyattended a biohacking conference
here in Miami, and I also had areally incredible interview with
the Chief AI Officer of eMergeAmericas, and he's spearheading
the Miami AI Summit, which ishappening during Art Basel Week
here in Miami.
I'll also be attending that anddoing another recap on those
(05:52):
conversations as well.
If you haven't noticed, I loveattending conferences and
listening in on panels andmoderating some of my own here
in Miami.
If you ever want coverage orneed someone to help support
your panel curation or moderatea talk, don't hesitate to reach
out to me.
All right, let's get intotoday's episode.
(06:15):
So this year's BlockchainFuturist conference was held at
the Hard Rock here in SouthFlorida, and it offered a
glimpse into how Web3 AI andhuman creativity are starting to
braid together.
The conference is hosted byBlockchain North and it's
Canada's longest running Web3event.
It's in its ninth year.
(06:35):
I got a chance to meet theproduction team.
They were so sweet.
I love Canadians.
Shout out to all my Canadianlisteners and so they were
speaking about everything fromautonomous agents and
decentralized infrastructure towomen in Web3, AI creativity,
digital finance, art and IPprotection.
(07:00):
Also, really big shout out tothe VC of the day, Lalla of
SheAgentic.
She was so sweet and she let mespeak to the room for a bit as
well, and each of these panelshad its own flavor and focal
point, but together they paintedthis really powerful picture of
where we're headed as a societyand what creators, founders, and
(07:21):
small businesses can be doingright now.
To stay ahead.
I'm gonna run through each ofthese panels now, starting with
the first one, which was calledAgentic AI: The Next Leap Toward
Autonomous Systems.
This featured Shaw Walters, thefounder of Eliza Labs.
Dylan Dewdney from Kuvi.ai.
(07:42):
Janet Adams of Artificial SuperIntelligence.
Jay Rogers at Infineo and AliceShikova at Space ID.
All of these panelists live deepin the agent world.
Think digital assistance, thatdon't just respond, but actually
act on your behalf.
They chatted about agentscontrolling our wallets and how
(08:04):
it will impact the financialmarket.
One share was how not long agoit was very scary to put our
credit card on the internet tomake a payment, and now here we
are and we're having agents makepurchasing decisions on our
behalf.
They shared we already have thefinancial rails.
(08:25):
The next frontier is intent.
Teaching machines to understandwhat we want and act on it
safely.
They followed with a predictionthat within 12 months,
autonomous agents will betrading and executing
successfully on their own.
What struck me most about thispanel was how they talked about
trust.
(08:45):
The real bottleneck isn'tcapability.
It's whether we'll let go enoughcontrol to get these agents to
do their jobs.
A key takeaway that they gavewas, if you're running a small
business or a creative studio,pick one repetitive task like
lead follow ups or research andbuild a mini agent around it.
(09:06):
Treat it like an intern, give itboundaries, feedback, and a
clear goal.
Those who start to learn tomanage agents will replace those
who don't.
We're already seeing this happenin the workforce, and it's one
of the biggest skills that youcan have moving forward into
2026.
The next talk was with Lisa Loudof the Secret Network.
(09:28):
I loved her discussion.
Her talk was about growing yourglobal impact, and she was
really raw and honest.
She's been a long time advocatefor privacy tech and Web3
inclusion.
She discussed the genderdisparity in AI adoption and
Web3 leadership noting thatwhile men are embracing new AI
(09:50):
careers, women are reallyunderrepresented she encourages
women to enter Web3, despite themale dominance culture, as it's
definitely gonna turbochargeyour career.
Lisa also touched on howimportant it is to be resilient
in these times.
She shared a quote and said,chaos leads to opportunity and
(10:13):
emphasized the importance ofreally leaning into this blue
ocean space.
And it's something that's reallynear and dear to my heart
because I'm all about empoweringand encouraging individuals to
pivot during this rapidtechnological change of chaos,
which is in fact breedingincredible opportunity.
(10:36):
And as I mentioned, stay on thelookout as I release more offers
and products and resourcesaround specifically pivoting and
reimagining yourself and yourcareer in the age of ai.
We then shifted to a panelcalled Co-Creating the Future AI
and the Power of HumanCreativity.
(10:56):
This one featured Zachary Nelsonof Genizo Media.
Warren Calove of Go Arlo andTony Evans, co-founder of CETI.
I love this session because itwas all creative philosophy.
Warren said, AI should augmentimagination, not replace it.
(11:16):
They explore the tension betweenautomation and artistry.
How tools like Chat GPT orMidjourney can help you
brainstorm faster, but realoriginality still comes from
discomfort, from being human.
They talked about how humancreativity often involves
breaking patterns and tappinginto new ideas which AI
(11:38):
currently can't replace.
They touched on how humanartists and innovators can adapt
to AI technology, suggestingthat those who embrace it truly
will survive while other artistsmay fade out.
They again, really honed in thatfact that human imperfections
(11:59):
and contradictions to repetitivecreative patterns are really
going to be the beautiful,unique artistic elements and
outcomes that AI cannot achieve.
One interesting point that cameup multiple times throughout the
day was this thought about dataroyalties and traceability.
(12:22):
This group discussed ethicalconsiderations around ai,
generative creative work, andsuggested things like royalties
could help solve the problem.
Someone in the audience alsoasked about education, the
discussion highlighted theimportance of teaching students
to critically evaluate AIoutputs and to understand its
(12:42):
limitations.
They said, we need to teach kidshow to question ai, not just how
to use it.
This panel was really in depth,but the key takeaway really was
if you're building with ai, keepthe imperfection in the process.
Those quirks and humanfingerprints are really where
the value lives.
(13:02):
After that talk was ElenaSinelnikova.
She's the co-founder of CryptoChicks and Metis.
She presented on the FuturePayment Hub for AI agents.
This talk was surprisinglyaccessible.
She explained how their team isbuilding a new layer for AI to
AI payments, basically lettingdigital agents transact with
(13:25):
each other using blockchaininfrastructure.
If you listen to my episode withChairman Bowdre not too long
ago, you know, I have recentlycovered this topic.
She broke down her platform intofour phases, building trust,
controlling budgets, connectingsystems, and then scaling cross
(13:46):
currency.
Elena discussed the future of AIand its potential to automate
work.
Suggesting that AI will play asignificant role and shaping the
economy through AI to AIpayment.
She emphasized the importance ofintegrating AI into the internet
to build a sustainable future.
She stated, AI will shape theeconomy through automation and
(14:07):
collaboration if we teachsystems how to pay each other.
In summary, if agents are doingthe work, they'll also need
wallets.
The next panel was on the SmartMoney Era, AI and the Evolution
of Digital Finance.
This was with Reed Baum fromSarson Funds Antonio Brasse from
(14:27):
BlockQuake and Keeyan Ravanshidfrom HODL Markets.
This talk focused on complianceand regulation their big message
was we're entering an age wherefinancial decisions are made by
algorithms, but accountabilitystill belongs to us humans.
Transparency is the new alpha,meaning in a world run by code.
(14:49):
The edge isn't secrecy anymore,it's clarity.
Antonio echoed that he warnedthat too many FinTech founders
hide behind complexity insteadof building trust.
The key takeaway here is whetheryou're managing investments or
running a small businessdocument your data sources
automate transparency first.
(15:10):
It's gonna build trust fasterthan any branding campaign ever
will.
After that was a reallyinteresting talk called Digital
Expression (15:17):
The Convergence of AI and Art.
This one gathered Gianni fromPurple Horizon's Lab and Erik
LaPaglia from NextTech Ventures,plus a few Miami locals
including Jenny DeMurta, a Miaminative.
She introduced herself as a fanof crypto and emerging
(15:38):
technologies and discussed herinterest in the convergence of
AI and art.
On that panel was also ScarletArana.
She shared her role as theco-founder of Bit Basel, one of
the largest Web3 art fairs.
They kicked off talking about aproject called Intuition, a moon
based data center that literallystores art on the moon.
(16:04):
Gianna shared AI is disruptingtraditional art forms, but it's
also giving birth to completelynew mediums, we're finally
seeing AI as a partner in thecreative process, not just a
tool.
This group also touched onblockchain's role in protecting
intellectual property, ensuringartists retain credit and
royalties even as contentbecomes harder to trace.
(16:28):
This really emphasizes thatdecentralized AI with blockchain
ensures proof of ownership,preventing misuse of content
like profiles, and highlightingthe need for creators to
understand this conversionpoint.
That blockchain could be themost effective solution for
these issues.
How I AI is brought to you inpartnership with the Collective
(16:50):
AI, A space designed toaccelerate your learning and AI
adoption.
I joined the collective and it'scompletely catapulted my
learning, expanded my network,and showed me what's possible
with ai.
Whether you're just starting outseeking community or want done
for you solutions, TheCollective gives you the
resources to grow your businesswith AI.
(17:13):
I then broke for lunch and cameback to a fascinating block of
talks about ownership, privacy,and legacy.
This is where the conversationreally shifted from what AI can
do to who controls what itcreates.
The next talk was called HowDEFAI Transforms Inheritance:
Presented by Heir.es.
(17:34):
The session was led by LoganGolema, the founder of Heir.is.
Picture Defi meets estateplanning startup.
Think trust funds and willsmanaged by AI agents.
Logan asks the audience toimagine something wild but
logical.
If AI can manage your portfoliowhile you're alive, why can't it
(17:55):
manage your legacy when you'regone?
He walked us through how AIagents can track digital assets
across chains, file paperwork,and even handle end of life data
with transparency.
The key takeaway here was tostart thinking about your
digital inheritance now, yourphotos, your crypto, business
(18:16):
automations, those are all nowpart of your estate.
Make sure someone, whether it'shuman or ai, knows where they
live and how to access them.
The next panel was calledUnlocking the Billions
Democratizing IP Via NFTs AI andcrowdfunded patents.
This one featured Sam Drissi,co-founder of Artizyou and
(18:39):
BIPQuantum.
I really love this presentationbecause it's such a big shift
that we are all entering.
Sam's mission is to makeintellectual property protection
accessible for everyone no giantlaw firm required.
He gave a presentation about hisplatform that enables content
(19:00):
creators to license their workacross multiple marketplaces.
He walked us through a reallysimplified AI driven process.
The platform aims to automate IPprotection and licensing,
offering features likegenerating NFTs for multiple
marketplaces and providing onchain and off chain proof of
(19:21):
ownership.
His platform is open sourced incollaboration with the EMX
Foundation, and users can createand manage their IP with ease,
including their own software,algorithms, and creative works.
He said it best.
The future assets aren't aboutmoney.
It's about knowledge in yourhead.
(19:42):
He really did a great jobshowcasing his platform that
mints and patents and copyrightsthe NFTs so creators can license
and monetize their workdirectly.
A big focus was on fractionalownership, letting multiple
investors hold pieces of an ideaor an invention.
So if you create content, art,or code, start documenting your
(20:06):
process.
The line between inspiration andinfringement is about to get
very thin, and proof of originis power.
The last panel I attended wascalled the Infrastructure Behind
Intelligence (20:18):
Scaling AI with Privacy and Trust.
This one was more technical.
It was led by Rohan Handa fromMysten Labs and George Varghese
from 0G Labs.
It also included Charlene Wangof Zyphe and Andrew Smith of
Formation AI Labs.
(20:39):
It was moderated by Anewbiz fromthe Secret Network.
They really dug into theplumbing, the systems that keep
AI private, efficient andverifiable They stated that AI
is scaling exponentially, butit's too centralized and too
leaky.
We need infrastructure thattreats privacy as a feature, not
(21:00):
an afterthought.
They talked about cryptographicproofs, decentralized storage,
and open audit trails, basicallymaking AI's reasoning visible.
They reframed it this way.
The moat is trust andverifiability.
The key takeaway here waswhether you're coding or
consulting, transparency buildslongevity.
(21:22):
People will choose tools andbrands they can verify.
After the panel breakouts, Ialso met some incredible people
walking the expo floor.
I met Dyrique Mendoza of FinTechUSA, teaching kids about
cryptocurrency and financialliteracy.
He told me kids alreadyunderstand digital currency
(21:44):
through games like Roblox andFortnite.
They just call digital currencyRobux and V-Bucks, and they
already know things like Bitcoinat a very young age.
It's such a simple idea.
Meet them where they're at andplay.
He's designing programs thatbridge gaming, crypto safety,
and career readiness in AI.
(22:06):
It reminded me that educationisn't falling behind.
It is evolving in unexpectedplaces, and the next generation
is learning faster than wethink.
Our job is to make sure they'relearning ethically and safely.
And speaking of people doingincredible work, one of the most
inspiring connections I made waswith Sanda Adams.
She's the co-founder ofOnboard60 consulting and
(22:29):
counseling services.
She's building digital literacyprograms for senior citizens,
helping older adults navigatetech with confidence from online
banking to basic AI tools.
Her tagline is, empowermentdoesn't have an age limit.
I love that so much.
(22:49):
I told her on the spot, I wanther to be on the podcast next
year, so watch for that in 2026,it's happening.
In summary, if there was asingle theme that threaded
throughout the whole conference,it was this: AI isn't coming for
us, it's coming from us.
It is our design, our data, ourvalues, shaping this next era.
(23:13):
So that's my download from theBlockchain Futurist Conference
2025 in Miami.
I left feeling inspired by howmany people are building
responsibly, creatively, andcollaboratively.
We're not spectators anymore,we're participants.
If any of these panels sparkedan idea for you or you want to
dive deeper into one of thespeakers, I'll have the links
(23:35):
and names listed in the shownotes.
All right everyone.
That's it for today's soloepisode.
If this conversation helped yousee AI differently, share it
with one person who would loveit, and make sure to subscribe
so you don't miss out on what'scoming next.
See you on the next episode ofHow I AI.
Wow, I hope today's episodeopened your mind to what's
(23:58):
possible with ai.
Do you have a cool use case onhow you're using AI and want to
share it?
DM me.
I'd love to hear more andfeature you on my next podcast.
Until next time, here's toworking smarter, not harder.
See you on the next episode ofHow I AI.
This episode was made possiblein partnership with the
Collective AI, a communitydesigned to help entrepreneurs,
(24:22):
creators, and professionalsseamlessly integrate AI into
their workflows.
One of the biggest game changersin my own AI journey was joining
this space.
It's where I learned, connectedand truly enhanced my
understanding of what's possiblewith AI.
And the best part, they offermultiple membership levels to
meet you where you are.
(24:42):
Whether you want to DIY, your AIlearning or work with a
personalized AI consultant foryour business, The Collective
has you covered.
Learn more and sign up using myexclusive link in the show
notes.
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