Photo credit: venturebeat.com
Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More
Inspired by the narratives of films like Her and other imaginative science fiction tales, the concept of personalized AI assistants has become increasingly tangible. Envision a digital companion that not only understands your identity, job, and hobbies but also aligns with your aspirations and preferences, delving deep into what influences your emotions and decisions.
Current AI tools, exemplified by platforms like CharacterAI and the memory feature in ChatGPT, offer a rudimentary glimpse of such functionality. However, these tools generally depend on user data being sent to external servers for processing, which diminishes user control and raises privacy concerns. Additionally, they lack the capability to execute transactions on behalf of users, leaving many desires unfulfilled.
This gap in offerings poses a challenge for individuals prioritizing their privacy or seeking an AI tailored specifically to their unique preferences. But a new venture is emerging to fill this void: PIN AI is a fresh startup that has made its debut by launching a mobile application. This app allows users to choose an open-source AI model that executes entirely on their smartphones (compatible with iOS and Android), ensuring their data remains private and fully adapted to their needs.
Video of PIN AI mobile app in action. Credit: PIN AI
PIN AI adopts a decentralized approach, emphasizing privacy and user autonomy as it seeks to disrupt the monopolistic control tech giants have over personal data. The founding team comprises experienced professionals hailing from prestigious institutions such as Columbia, MIT, and Stanford, with leadership from Davide Crapis, Ben Wu, and Bill Sun, all of whom contribute significant expertise in AI and blockchain technologies.
The startup enjoys support from prominent investors, including a16z Crypto (CSX), Hack VC, and Sequoia Capital U.S. Scout, as well as influential figures in blockchain, like Near’s founder Illia Polosukhin and Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.
Personal AI realized
PIN AI fundamentally rethinks the centralized models of artificial intelligence that monetize user information. In contrast to cloud-operated AI services managed by major tech companies, PIN AI’s solution operates locally on user devices, engendering personalized experiences without oversight from third parties.
Central to its operation is a user-managed data bank, which empowers individuals to safely store and oversee their personal data while providing developers access to anonymized insights. This enables the generation of contextual data, improving service delivery without compromising individual privacy.
“The current landscape is dominated by major players — Apple, Google, Meta — under the guise of personal AI. But what they truly offer is exploiting user data for profit,” remarked Davide Crapis during a recent interview with VentureBeat.
Desktop view of PIN AI user dashboard.
PIN AI launched its web interface late last year, quickly attracting over 2 million alpha users through platforms such as Telegram and building a community of 220,000 on Discord.
The new mobile application, already available in the U.S. and other regions, brings a variety of features:
- The “God model”: Monitors the AI’s understanding of the user, ensuring that its responses align with their individual preferences.
- Ask PIN AI: Functions as a personal assistant to aid users with tasks, including financial planning and travel arrangements.
- Open-source integrations: Enables connectivity with applications like Gmail and social media, enhancing the AI’s service capacity while safeguarding privacy.
“With PIN AI, you operate your personal model,” Crapis added. “You possess the underlying data, and it incorporates privacy-focused tuning.”
He further explained that the application supports various open-source AI models, allowing users to customize their assistants starting from advanced base configurations like DeepSeek and Meta’s Llama.
Promotional screenshot of PIN AI mobile app. Credit: PIN AI
Blockchain-based ledger for credentials and data access
PIN AI employs blockchain protocols as the structural backbone of its framework to bolster security and transparency, while ensuring user authority.
Data is stored locally: In contrast to typical cloud-based systems, all user information is securely kept on personal devices.
Trusted execution environment (TEE): Essential data processing occurs within a secure area that is inaccessible to external parties, maintaining confidentiality even from PIN AI.
Blockchain ledger for transactions: Actions are verified on-chain while user data stays private and resident on personal devices.
Interoperability with emerging technologies: PIN AI is designed for seamless integration with new decentralized AI and blockchain initiatives, ensuring future relevance.
Through decentralization, PIN AI seeks a balance between privacy, security, and efficiency, allocating control of personal information back to users while still harnessing AI capabilities for enhanced function.
“Our framework emphasizes privacy, leveraging state-of-the-art techniques like TEE,” Crapis noted. “Your authentication keys remain elusive, even to our system.”
User-based AI focus
The unveiling of PIN AI occurs when the discourse around data privacy and the monopolization of artificial intelligence is intensifying.
Co-founder Wu articulated the vision of data sovereignty, asserting, “We’re bringing transparency to the open-source AI movement, ensuring users hold complete ownership of their personal AI.”
Sun illustrated the ambitious vision: “Imagine a personalized assistant akin to J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Man — a dedicated digital helper that continuously evolves.”
Crapis elaborated on the goal of developing a data bank where users can reclaim their rights over personal information gathered by tech giants, enabling their personal AI to draw from this stored data.
Beyond just individual usage, PIN AI aspires to develop a collective network of AI agents capable of collaborating and engaging with external services autonomously.
“Your AI can communicate with other personal assistants, interact with commercial entities, and autonomously manage tasks like purchasing gifts based on previous conversations,” Sun outlined.
According to its founders, PIN AI plans to monetize by levying transaction fees for other AI agents to access user data—only with the user’s consent.
What’s next for PIN AI?
In a landscape where AI technology is rapidly transforming, PIN AI aspires to set the standard for decentralized and personalized artificial intelligence. By melding on-device intelligence with blockchain security and support for open-source structures, the venture ensures that individuals—not corporations—retain ownership and governance over their data.
“Our operational strategy is straightforward: We take a modest fee from agent transactions, much like the gas fees seen on Ethereum, unlike centralized institutions that profit extensively,” Wu detailed.
“This is merely the inception,” Sun noted. “In time, your AI will connect seamlessly with your computers, smart devices, and even humanoid robotics, all while safeguarding your privacy.”
The PIN AI application is currently available, promising unprecedented levels of privacy, security, and customization in AI-integrated experiences. Explore PIN AI’s website or download the app now to begin crafting your personalized AI assistant.
Source
venturebeat.com