In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we explore one of the most promising frontiers in artificial intelligence: federated learning.

We speak with Nic Lane, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Flower Labs and a professor at the University of Cambridge, to unpack why decentralized AI may not only be more ethical—but more effective—than centralized systems.

We dive into:
•Why centralized AI may soon hit a wall due to limited data access
•How federated learning enables richer, more private, and more diverse datasets
•The mechanics behind training large language models across global networks
•Flower’s partnership with Vana to build Collective One, a new model powered by user-owned data
•Real-world use cases: from healthcare to weather forecasting to robotics
•Why decentralization isn’t just a principle—it might be a technical necessity

Whether you’re a developer, investor, or just curious about where AI is headed, this episode offers a lucid, technical-yet-accessible look at the future of open source AI, data DAOs, and user-owned AI models.

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube—and if you’re into crypto and AI, this is the conversation you don’t want to miss.

For more: https://flower.ai/

Presented by Vana, the open protocol for user-owned AI through user-owned data. 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 at MIT Decentralized AI Summit, Builders Workshop

Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:

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Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/jeffwilser

In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we dive into one of the most compelling intersections in tech today: AI agents and crypto infrastructure. Our guest is Bryan Pellegrino, co-founder and CEO of LayerZero Labs. His journey is anything but ordinary—former top-ranked professional poker player, model builder for MLB teams alongside Billy Beane, and now a key architect of decentralized AI infrastructure.

We explore the deep mechanics of decentralized agents: How will they live on-chain? Will they need wallets? How will reputation systems work for non-human actors? And most critically—what does it mean for blockchains when agents, not humans, drive the majority of transactions?

Bryan unpacks why micro-payments are broken in legacy systems and how crypto rails solve that. He discusses why LayerZero should be thought of as the TCP/IP of the decentralized internet—abstracting cross-chain operations for AI agents and making assets truly fungible across blockchains.

We also tackle big-picture topics like:

• [06:10] The problem with overhyping LLMs and the limits of scaling compute
• [14:45] What LayerZero actually does and why it matters
• [17:40] AI agents as blockchain-native actors—and why payments come first
• [27:30] The challenge of AI hallucination vs. blockchain immutability
• [31:20] Wallets, security, and reputation for AI agents
• [37:10] Use cases for decentralized AI people are sleeping on
• [44:45] How to build infrastructure that can outlast rapid AI evolution
• [46:00] Bryan’s grounded, long-view predictions for AI, AGI, and agent proliferation

Bryan brings rare insight—and skepticism—to the table, showing where hype diverges from real engineering, and where massive opportunity still lies. If you care about decentralized AI, agentic systems, or the future of crypto infrastructure, this one’s not to be missed.

For more: Layer Zero Labs

Presented by Vana, the open protocol for user-owned AI through user-owned data. 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 at MIT Decentralized AI Summit, Builders Workshop

Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:

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

Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/jeffwilser

In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by Vana, we sit down with Jason Zhao, co-founder of Story Protocol, one of the most ambitious projects at the intersection of AI, blockchain, and intellectual property.

We explore how Story Protocol aims to reinvent the $61 trillion global IP economy by transforming IP into a liquid, programmable, and creator-friendly asset class. From Hollywood screenplays to DNA datasets, from fashion brands to decentralized fanfiction, Story is building the infrastructure to track, license, and monetize all forms of IP—seamlessly and transparently.

We dig into major use cases:

• [04:00] How IP inefficiencies punish creators—and how Story fixes that

• [07:40] Case studies in nontraditional IP: gene data (GenoBank) and fashion brands (Crocs, Balmain, Ablo)

• [08:10] Why Batman Begins writer David Goyer is launching a new sci-fi universe, Emergence, using Story Protocol

• [13:55] The roadmap for fan-owned franchises and decentralized content worlds

• [20:00] What happens when AI agents remix copyrighted music—and how revenue flows back to IP holders

• [25:00] The complexity of attribution in AI training vs. fine-tuning vs. output

• [30:00] The Studio Ghibli dilemma: viral GenAI trends vs. creator compensation

• [35:00] How Story Protocol could offer legal protection even when AI models ignore IP rules

• [38:30] Inside IP Portal: a GitHub-like hub where creators can register and license IP

• [41:24] The two biggest hurdles to mainstream adoption: legitimacy and scale

• [45:00] Why AI agents may become major users—and producers—of IP on Story Protocol

• [47:28] Predictions for 2025: AI models that share revenue with creators, and the rise of “licensed deepfakes”

We also discuss how legacy IP giants might integrate with decentralized systems, and what it means when your likeness—human or AI—is composable and monetizable across the internet.

If you’re curious about the future of AI, creators’ rights, and programmable culture, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Story Protocol:

https://linktr.ee/storyprotocol

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

Subscribe to The People's AI on YouTube:

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

Jeff Wilser on Twitter/X:

https://x.com/jeffwilser