The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which broke out in 2018, revealed how personal data has become a valuable resource being traded by companies and how this data can be used for purposes not in the best interest of the individuals it belongs to. The scandal opened conversations about the misuse of personal data, influencing regulations worldwide. It also exposed individuals’ lack of personal data sovereignty or the ability to control what data is collected on them, who can collect it, and how it is used. These concerns inspired Ruben Daniels to find Memri. This data sovereignty platform provides tools for individuals and organizations to manage their data in a private, trustworthy, and life-centric way.
“The scandal made us realize we had lost personal data sovereignty in two core areas. The first is data privacy, and the second is how it’s being used,” Daniels says. “Prior to that, we didn’t know that they would use the data to profile us and use our emotional responses to create algorithms that were then used to create behaviors that have polarized the world. I believe that this problem will only get worse with AI becoming more powerful and pervasive in society, so I founded Memri to present an alternative way to do things.”
Since its establishment in 2020, Memri has built its data sovereignty platform on four main principles: the freedom to choose models, self-collection of data, collective decision-making of all stakeholders, and easy access for everyone. Memri believes the current lack of data sovereignty presents three major societal problems. The first problem is surveillance, where social media and AI gather information on an individual without their consent and monetize, creating what’s known as the surveillance economy.
The second one is access to services, where sharing of data has become a prerequisite to accessing certain services, especially with the huge productivity benefits being provided by AI—the results of which are impairing social equity. The third problem, which Daniels believes is the worst, is manipulation, where companies use the data they have gained unethically to the detriment of the people they collected it from.
Memri’s commitment to data sovereignty is embodied by giving users full ownership of their data through an AI Data Wallet, which seamlessly stores all their data, insights, and experiences in one place. Access to an AI Data Wallet is possible via a personal encryption key only the user knows, and they have the full freedom to decide who to share the data with. The Memri team cannot access a user’s Data Wallet without their consent.
Daniels likens this to a house key, which grants access to a person’s home, where they have freedom, privacy, and safety. This allows a person to control and manage their own data without fear of abuse. It also allows users to have their own AI program in a privacy-first secure environment known as a confidential compute layer.
Memri provides services through a plug-and-play interface, linking with various applications, such as email, messaging, and cloud storage, and allowing users to store their data in one secure location. This gives users more power over their data and allows them to use it as they see fit.
Furthermore, Daniels explains that various jurisdictions have legal restrictions on the types of data a company can collect and unify. For example, bringing together data sets on education and finance is prohibited in the US. However, this platform overcomes such restrictions because the individual collects their own data and shares it consensually with other parties. From both a trusted and legal perspective, Memri provides greater access to data than other supplier models.
“Companies are subject to restrictions on what level of data they can collect about you,” Daniels says. “But, when you collect your own data, those restrictions do not apply. That means you can put all the data about yourself in your AI Data Wallet—such as your financial, health, and work information—to get a full view while having complete control over what to do with it and who to share it with.”
According to Daniels, this wealth of data benefits various industries. For example, health and well-being providers can benefit from data in formulating preventative healthcare plans and personalized treatments for ailments. With the user having all their data in a single location, they can go beyond lab tests and questionnaires and into deeper detail, such as location data and genetic profiles. Healthcare is just one of the many industries that will benefit from this data sovereignty model, which includes automotive, education, gaming, finance, and more. Companies generate greater value by delivering better service to their customers, and Memri is the conduit that allows them to do so.
“We dream of helping create a society that embodies wisdom and makes decisions that are in everyone’s best interest,” Daniels says. “This is where data and AI can really help us see things that we haven’t been able to before. Some of the research we’ve seen shows that if people have data sovereignty and the right information, they don’t just think about themselves and their families but also their communities, the next generations, and the natural environment. They consider those things when making decisions that are not purely driven by survival or making money. Enabling data sovereignty will also allow more diverse decision-makers in the field, which is currently not inclusive. We believe that providing an architecture for data sovereignty will help humanize AI and technology and lead the world toward a better future.”
Published by: Holy Minoza
