In today’s data-driven world, everyone’s generating new information daily—whether it’s tracking health metrics or posting on social media. This information, particularly from health apps or devices like the Oura ring, is seen as valuable data that AI organizations wish to harness. However, despite its potential worth, individuals face challenges in monetizing their own data due to lack of leverage.

Vana’s co-founder, Anna Kazlauskas, emphasizes the importance of data as a fundamental resource for AI and the digital economy. She states, “A lot of people frankly just don’t realize that they actually own their data.”

With Vana, the goal is to unite individual data owners, generating collective bargaining power that allows users to capitalize on their data. “We’re creating an ecosystem for user-owned data, fueling user-owned AI,” she adds.

This initiative entails forming Data DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations for data), decentralized marketplaces, and partnerships to launch user-owned frameworks.

During the upcoming AI Summit at Consensus 2025, Kazlauskas will deliver a keynote presentation on this topic. She notes a growing awareness among the public about the importance of personal data and hints at a future where such awareness leads to over 100 million engaged users—in ten years, potentially even the entire global population.

In emphasizing the value of user-owned data, Kazlauskas compares it to parking a car in a lot: the user retains ownership, even when that data is hosted on tech platforms. She argues that it’s essential to restore this sense of ownership, applicable both to users and developers.

Harnessing collective data through DAOs can formulate a powerful resource, especially for AI development, by pooling information that’s currently siloed within big tech. Vana aims to pioneer such initiatives and shift the AI paradigm from centralized systems to a decentralized approach, tapping into broader, user-contributed datasets.

Kazlauskas envisions a collaborative future where user data will not just compete with centralized platforms but exceed their capabilities through improved access to data.

“Data is the secret sauce that makes it all work,” she concludes.