In AI 3.0, decentralization, autonomy, and human-centric design are new features indicating the transition to a new era of artificial intelligence. Users can create and manage their own AI agents that will work on their behalf instead of using centralized platforms. Decentralized storage, execution layers, and identity systems are all facets of the infrastructure. That makes it up to support this shift that is being built by Autonomys Network. The project plans to roll out additional features in 2025 and debut its Mainnet Phase 1 in late 2024. It intends to make AI systems more participatory, secure, and private. Although its complete adoption has not been fully embraced yet, AI 3.0 is a potentially revolutionary step towards improved digital autonomy.
How AI 3.0 Shifts Power from Platforms to Individuals
The move to AI 3.0 is more of a change of technology and ideology. Instead of routing the AI to the few tech giants, this new model gives people the power to unleash autonomous AI agents specific to their requirements. They give the ability to execute one or more tasks, such as scheduling, payments, or research, independently and on decentralized networks. The solution does not just diffuse control; it is also more compatible with personal privacy, data possession, and user independence.
AI1.0 relied on centralized computing for deep learning. AI2.0 expanded functionality with generative models like chatbots, but kept users dependent on corporate-controlled platforms. AI 3.0 responds to that limitation by giving users direct control over how their agents are created, stored, and executed. Each agent operates on a decentralized infrastructure, removing single points of failure and increasing transparency.
This phase also introduces agentic AI, systems that are not just reactive but proactive. These agents are embedded with goals and the capacity to learn from interactions, bridging the gap between automation and human-aligned decision-making. However, creating truly decentralized, scalable, and secure ecosystems for these agents is complex. AI 3.0 is less about a single application and more about a new model for computing where power returns to users, bit by bit, agent by agent.
Autonomys Network and Its Infrastructure for AI 3.0
The AI 3.0 infrastructure is based on Autonomy’s Network, which provides a decentralized data, identity, and computation infrastructure. It starts its stack with the Decentralized Storage Network (DSN), which enables AI agents to access data without using the cloud providers. DSN stores information on distributed nodes, promoting permanence and privacy, which are central principles of the AI 3.0 movement.
In order to execute computations, Autonomys designed Decoupled Execution (DecEx). Where the consensus is decoupled from the execution and implemented with multiple virtual machines. This architecture enhances scalability as well as enables the deployment of smart contracts on other environments such as EVM-compatible chains. An additional novelty, Proof-of-Archival-Storage (PoAS), also allows the participants to prove that they contributed to a storage. Without having to participate in the whole chain, which makes participation less difficult and makes the network more resilient.
An important role is also played by identity. Auto ID can support self-sovereign identity and proof-of-personhood, as it enables agents to represent real users in a verifiable manner. These systems are in connection with Auto Score, an indicator of agent trustworthiness, elaborated on an on-chain behavioral ranking.
AI 3.0 May Redefine Ownership in the AI Era
AI 3.0 will mark a paradigm shift towards a new solid basis of artificial intelligence, with user control, being transparent and decentralized. Autonomys Network is in the vanguard with infrastructure where users can build, store, and control their own AI 2 agents. Should it succeed, such a movement will change the reliance on centralized providers and transform the operations of digital systems. Scale, identity, and adoption issues will have to be resolved on the path going forward, but the path is ready. There is more than a technical change here: AI 3.0 becomes a reconsideration of the question of intelligence owners in the digital era. Will it manage to reorient AI in such a manner that it assists the people?
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