DAIS Expands with Hedera, NEAR & Secret: A Major Step for Decentralized AI

New York – The Decentralized AI Society (DAIS) has announced that Hedera, NEAR Foundation, and Secret Network Foundation have joined the alliance, marking a significant milestone for decentralized AI (DeAI). This expansion highlights the growing interest and importance of decentralized AI systems, with each new member bringing essential contributions to the ecosystem.

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The addition of Hedera, a leader in enterprise-focused distributed ledger technology (DLT), NEAR Foundation, which has made notable strides in AI integration, and Secret Network, specializing in confidential computing, strengthens DAIS’s mission to combat the centralization of AI by Web2 giants and ensure an open, transparent AI economy.

A Stronger Alliance for Decentralized AI

DAIS, which was founded in September 2024, aims to challenge the centralization of data and AI, ensuring ethical, decentralized development and governance. Its founding members, including Ceti, Filecoin Foundation, and Morpheus, have been working together to push the boundaries of decentralized AI technology. The new members will play crucial roles in supporting and growing the DeAI ecosystem.

DAIS Chair Michael Casey, a prominent journalist and author, sees the accelerated growth of membership as a key indicator of decentralized AI’s potential.
"These new members add vital components to the DeAI stack, enhancing DAIS’s ability to address the industry’s challenges and compete with centralized players. Our growing network strengthens the Society’s efforts to create a decentralized AI landscape that serves the people, not just a few tech giants."

Michael Casey, DAIS Chair
Hedera’s experience in building robust enterprise solutions with DLT aligns perfectly with DAIS’s goals. Chief Operating Officer Shyam Nagarajan emphasized the importance of incorporating decentralized technology into AI systems for ethical development and enterprise integration.

“This collaboration allows us to bring decentralized AI into a broader enterprise context, promoting industry standards for decentralized AI governance and ethical development,” Nagarajan stated.

NEAR Foundation: Fostering AI Innovation

NEAR Foundation’s involvement brings unique AI expertise, particularly from co-founder Illia Polosukhin, a former member of Google’s Transformer 8 group. Polosukhin highlighted the importance of building user-owned, open-source AI systems to maximize benefits for users, businesses, and communities.

“Collaborating with DAIS is crucial to ensure AI is built on decentralized principles, enabling broad ownership and transparent governance,” said Polosukhin.

Secret Network: Ensuring Privacy and Security in AI

Secret Network’s specialization in confidential computing will help create the secure infrastructure necessary for AI systems to operate ethically. Executive Director Lisa Loud emphasized that privacy is a fundamental right that must be protected as AI technology evolves.

“By joining DAIS, we reinforce our commitment to building a decentralized ecosystem that ensures AI development prioritizes privacy, security, and ethical governance,” Loud stated.

Bermuda’s Leadership in Decentralized AI

DAIS is also collaborating with Bermuda’s government to encourage financial innovation, focusing on giving Bermudians ownership of their DNA data for AI health research. Premier David Burt sees the partnership as an opportunity to develop policies that promote decentralized AI while safeguarding citizens.

"Bermuda is poised to lead in decentralized AI, ensuring a balanced and open ecosystem," Burt said.

Looking Ahead: DAIS at the World Economic Forum

DAIS will host a “Decentralized AI Salon” on January 21 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, sponsored by Hedera. The event will explore decentralized AI’s potential and challenges, offering a platform for industry leaders to discuss collaboration and innovation in the space.

As DAIS continues to grow, its core focuses include:
Promoting decentralized AI research and data processing
Exploring tokenized funding models for DeAI startups
Engaging with policymakers to support fair regulations
Bridging the gap between crypto and traditional institutions
Advocating for the benefits of decentralized AI over centralized models

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About DAIS
The Decentralized AI Society (DAIS) is an alliance of organizations dedicated to advancing decentralized AI technologies. The Society’s mission is to ensure AI development is ethical, transparent, and benefits individuals, not just tech conglomerates. DAIS fosters collaboration to create a decentralized AI ecosystem grounded in self-sovereign data, privacy-preserving models, and distributed infrastructure.

For more information: Website: dais.global X: @DaisGlobal Telegram: DAIS Global