Who will control the future of AI: Big Tech or the users themselves?

In this episode, we sit down with George Zeng, Chief Product Officer at NEAR Protocol, to explore user-owned AI, private inference, autonomous agents and the growing intersection between artificial intelligence and crypto.

George explains why today’s AI boom resembles the early internet, how NEAR intends to compete with centralized AI platforms, and why agents capable of handling money need secure blockchain infrastructure.

We also discuss the real utility of the NEAR token, crypto’s failure to solve problems for everyday users, which jobs may survive AI and how people can stay relevant as technology accelerates.