Apple Intelligence rival secures $10M to develop open-source alternative #Apple2024

PIN AI, backed by a16z, develops a privacy-focused, open-source alternative to Apple’s AI, utilizing blockchain to empower users in monetizing their personal data.

PIN AI, an artificial intelligence infrastructure company, has secured $10 million in pre-seed funding and joined the Fall 2024 cohort of the a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (a16z CSX). 

According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph, the startup is focused on developing the first open-source Personal Intelligence Network (PIN). 

The open-source solution, emerging from research collaborations at Ethereum Core, Stanford, and MIT, directly competes with Apple’s newly launched Apple Intelligence AI solution.  $ETH

In a written Q&A with Cointelegraph, Ben Wu, a co-founder of PIN AI, explained that the Sept. 9 announcement coincides with Apple’s same-day announcement to “maximize the impact of the communication.”

According to the press release, PIN AI is a privacy-focused, open-source alternative to Apple Intelligence, exclusive to specific iPhone models.

The decentralized alternative is designed to run on lower-spec smartphones and a wider range of devices, allowing it to be accessible to a broader audience.

Wu explained that “internet giants like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon have built trillion-dollar empires based on user data.”

“...but users don’t own any of it. Our AI x crypto solution allows users to earn token incentives based on the data they connect and the activities they perform [...] sharing ownership of the entire platform with the users.”

Open-source implications

The PIN AI platform will enable developers to create AI agents that operate on users’ devices, utilizing user personal data in a decentralized and privacy-preserving manner.

According to the press release, the platform will use blockchain tech and advanced AI models to allow users to manage their data securely across multiple applications.