The Battle of Identity

The digital self is under siege. As AI advances, our identities, our voices, likenesses, and creative expressions are being replicated, commodified, and controlled by centralized entities. What was once a concern for artists and creators is now an existential issue for everyone. If left unchecked, we are heading toward a future where our AI counterparts exist not as extensions of ourselves, but as assets owned by corporations.

For over a decade, centralized platforms have dominated the creator economy, dictating who gets visibility, how content is monetized, and who ultimately profits. These platforms have built empires on the backs of creators while keeping them locked into walled gardens, extracting value without offering true ownership. But now, AI is fundamentally changing the equation.

AI agents are no longer just passive tools; they are evolving into autonomous digital beings, capable of engaging audiences, replicating personalities, and even outlasting their human counterparts. The real question is: Who will own these AI agents? Will they serve the individuals they are modeled after, or will they be absorbed into the vast corporate machinery that controls AI today?

The urgency is clear, centralized entities are already racing to claim AI ownership. The largest AI models today are trained on data scraped from the internet without consent, including personal identities, creative works, and social interactions. They take, they refine, and they profit - while the individuals who generated the data are left behind. This is no longer just about creators losing monetization rights; it’s about the fundamental right of every human being to own their own digital presence in the age of AI.