It would take the most dogmatic of apologists to push back against the claim that the internet is becoming a more cynical place to be. 

As our lives inextricably become more drawn to ever encroaching ‘always online’ mandates in both our working and personal lives, it can be easy to feel yourself just get pulled along with the tide without considering the problem.

It is a big problem, however. For instance, companies are ravenously hoovering up every scrap of information they can about you – some legally, others not so much – in a bid to better sell to you or sell your data to someone else who can.

Beyond this, the rise of large language models (LLMs) and their insatiable demand for larger, more diverse datasets should arguably raise more concern than the current fascination with their capabilities allows. This dynamic leaves the internet in a rather peculiar position.

In the last 12 months, we’ve seen multiple class action lawsuits against Big Tech companies for alleged privacy and data abuses as they scramble to train their AIs on every data corpus they can get their hands on. If we ever really had agency before with the internet, the scope of it is certainly shrinking.

Undoubtedly, the issue is being exacerbated by arguably the messiest, most fragmented and opaque regulatory landscape we’ve ever operated in when it comes to data, privacy and now, AI – which morphs and changes how the regulations interact with each other based on sovereignty, application, and myriad other facets that make regulation in this space almost wholly impenetrable.

So: are we finally ready for something else?

Decentralisation has long-thought to be a niche realm, in the grand scheme of things; an affectation of the overly-cautious – sometimes to the point of paranoia – preppers of the internet, if you will. That’s proving to be a short-sighted view.

We’re now at a point where we don’t know what we’re consenting to when we go online. And no amount of website ‘Accept All’ prompts are going to satisfactorily address that. 

Enter David Irvine’s long-gestating vision, Autonomi – a decentralised internet network from Ayr-based MaidSafe, a company started by Irvine back in 2006.

In an interview with DIGIT, we talk to Irvine about the evolution of decentralisation, the shortcomings of the modern internet, and how Autonomi could represent a groundbreaking step toward a freer, more secure digital future and internet that maybe isn’t so horrible to a part of, ideally.

Why the Internet’s Centralised Model Is Flawed

David Irvine, founder of Ayr-based MaidSafe and creator of the Autonomi network, has had a career rooted in curiosity and innovation. 

Starting as a tradesman in mechanical engineering, Irvine transitioned into electrical and electronic engineering before venturing into computing. He began his computing journey as a graduate engineer for Thorn EMI, where he became a key contact for networking communications. 

“From there, it was a natural progression to network design,” he explains. His expertise led him to Saudi Arabia, where he designed what he called the “world’s largest private network”, before returning home to establish his own business in 1995. 

This journey culminated in the creation of MaidSafe in 2006, the precursor to the Autonomi network.

Reflecting on the early 2000s, Irvine notes that “decentralisation was not a thing back then, and it wasn’t even a word associated with networking in any sense.” 

The prevalent design of servers, he believed, represented a fundamental flaw in how the internet functioned. “Servers were just an extension of the traditional LAN, which meant there were owners and controllers, and that was clearly wrong,” he says. 

Irvine’s vision was to move away from this model and harness the collective power of local computers sharing resources.

The result was a design that was ahead of its time. 

“I knew computers never had enough storage or bandwidth at the time,” he acknowledges, “but it was clear that was all increasing exponentially and would – eventually – not be an issue. 

“Essentially, MaidSafe was a design for tomorrow that could only happen tomorrow, at least back then.”

Before we delve deeper into the technical aspects of how Autonomi delivers, it’s important to be clear on what we mean by decentralisation. 

The term can broadly serve as being interchangeable with democratisation when we’re talking about the internet. It’s the idea of moving legacy structures away from a centralised control point (think things like banking, regulation, ownership, moderation, data storage, and many, many more use cases).

Decentralisation, when it’s being properly realised, engenders shared responsibility and offers people more control and agency – and of course, privacy.

Irvine offers a sharp critique of the modern internet: “The internet has shifted – from the free, open space we all envisioned, to accepting that we’re being controlled, and now to a point where we recognise something is fundamentally wrong,” he says.

How Does Autonomi’s Decentralised Internet Work?

Autonomi is built on two primary components: nodes and clients. 

Irvine explains: “Nodes are a simple programme that runs with no configuration on your computer and earns credits – tokens, cash, or some form of payment. This is you sharing your free resources safely with the world.” 

Meanwhile, clients represent the human interface, encompassing applications designed to rival or surpass those available today. Crucially, “you don’t know who you are sharing resources with – it’s basically the world,” he says. 

“There is no human or corporation taking or giving you money; it’s a global sharing mechanism that removes humans from that loop and makes it completely balanced and fair.”

The network also ensures complete autonomy for users. “The data you store is stored forever,” Irvine highlights, “so no monthly payments or whatever. The network has agreed to store and protect your data forever.”

Essentially, Autonomi is a decentralised ‘layer’ of the internet, powered by the spare capacity of everyday devices that allows you to securely store data, communicate, access knowledge, build businesses and run services, without the intervention of any middlemen or gatekeepers. It’s designed to give people complete sovereignty over their personal data.

While many features of Autonomi Network could be characterised as ‘Web3’ – it’s nomenclature that Irvine isn’t fond of.

He explains: “I feel we must evolve, and as I don’t call AI or LLM compute 2.0, I’m not a fan of this kind of 2.0 or 3.0 crutch as a means of signposting progress.” 

Irvine sees technology as a continuous evolution rather than segmented stages. 

“Labels confuse me as folk try to fit them and then explain them in tribal ways. I just see evolution,” he says. Despite this, he appreciates the energy these movements bring in perhaps creating more iterative labelling than people can easily understand.

The Future with Autonomi and AI

Looking ahead, Irvine is optimistic yet cautious about the role of AI in shaping the world. 

He says: “I feel the world is about to change significantly with AI, not only in being able to speak with your computer but also in how we handle knowledge and what that means for data.”

However, he’s quick to refer to the “extreme dangers of controlled AI.”

Irvine positions Autonomi as a safeguard against such threats, saying: “Autonomi is a true decentralised solution that can enhance individual security with purely local, private conversations with AI.”  

Beyond this, it facilitates the secure sharing of “knowledge blobs” – segments of neural networks or vector stores – which he believes will transform our ability to understand one another. 

“This level of knowledge sharing is a threat of capture and control we have never had to face, but Autonomi can be a rock-solid approach to a world of amazement and individual liberty like we have never seen.”

For Irvine, the transition from data networking to knowledge networking will be revolutionary. “It will be more powerful than we can imagine and will require we retain agency of our own thoughts,” he emphasises. 

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“The advantages we are about to receive [from AI] in health, education and knowledge based work are unprecedented. The ability of robots to do manual work will transform society to one of abundance. We face an amazing future, but only if we protect individual freedom at all costs, there can be no room for control of any kind in this world and the rights of the individual have to be inalienable and absolute.”

Autonomi, Irvine believes, will play a vital role in protecting and enabling this future, ensuring it is one where individual liberty and innovation thrive.

“It may seem like a strange business model to work towards a vision, but our belief is satisfying that vision is of absolute necessity for humanity and continuing our evolution.

“No company can claim to provide this, but many can and should aim to do their part. This value will be rewarded in many ways, but most of all we need to lift everyone together and in harmony.

“We will do our bit in this exciting and critical time.”