As language models evolve into extensions of memory, judgment, and decision-making—questions of ownership, privacy, and autonomy become increasingly difficult to ignore.

In this interview, Vora founders Erik Cason and Jesse Posner share why the future of AI will look very different depending on our ability to do one thing: maintain self-custody of our personal data—with private keys, just like Bitcoin.

A conversation about who controls the systems shaping human cognition, and how we can protect ourselves with the same ethos we protect our Bitcoin—this interview covers:

• Why AI is the most intimate technology ever created + the specific risks of centralized AI systems controlling sensitive personal information
• How Bitcoin's self-custody model provides a framework for thinking about data ownership in the AI age (Not Your Keys, Not Your Mind)
• Why data sovereignty may become one of the defining technological and political questions of the coming decades
• How you can protect yourself and your personal information from centralized AI risks—including data leaks, political manipulation and more.

This episode of Bitcoin Rails is brought to you by my sponsors:

LayerTwo Labs — developing research, software, and technologies for scaling Bitcoin via the integration of Drivechains (BIP 300/301)

Hashi on Sui Network — a primitive for executing Bitcoin DeFi transactions, without having to trust a federated bridge or other centralized entity

BitBox — an open-source Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with smooth UX and no compromises on security. Check out Bitbox [dot] swiss and use code BITCOINRAILS to get a discount