Sentient

Infrastructure

Sentient is an initiative by the Sentient Foundation. It focuses on creating an open-source AI ecosystem. The initiative aims to make AI advancements accessible to everyone through collaborative development, rather than being dominated by corporations. Sentient refers to this concept as the creation of “Loyal AI”.

Project rating

8.8 / 10

Excellent

What is Sentient

Here’s how it works:

Community Contribution: Sentient relies on a global network of AI developers and researchers. You can contribute knowledge, share ideas, or give feedback through forums and social media like X (formerly Twitter). This approach keeps the project open and dynamic.
Sentient Protocol: It’s a blockchain-based system with four layers (Storage, Distribution, Access, Incentive) that aligns all ecosystem actors. The Storage layer securely saves models and their data, while the Distribution layer ensures models are shared across the network. The Access layer manages who can use the models, and the Incentive layer fairly rewards contributors and creators.
Ecosystem Participants: Sentient's ecosystem is powered by three main groups. Model Creators are rewarded whenever their models are used. Model Hosts earn income by developing user-facing AI applications. Finally, Model Verifiers ensure ethical and fair usage by monitoring payments and compliance with policies.

In summary, Sentient decentralizes AI development. It rewards community contributions and creates an open ecosystem for AI advancements. It’s designed to benefit developers, users, and humanity overall.

Team of Sentient

Pramod Viswanath

Steering Committee Member

Pramod Viswanath

Steering Committee Member

Pramod is a Professor in Engineering at Princeton University. He co-founded Kaleidoscope Blockchain and was previously an Endowed Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. At Sentient Foundation he’s responsible for research initiatives.

Himanshu Tyagi

Steering Committee Member

Himanshu Tyagi

Steering Committee Member

Himanshu co-founded Witness Chain and is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science. He has a background in research on information theory, statistics, and cryptography from UC San Diego. At Sentient Foundation he’s responsible for technology initiatives.

Sandeep Naiwal

Steering Committee Member

Sandeep Naiwal

Steering Committee Member

Sandeep co-founded Polygon and Symbolic Capital. As of 2023, his net worth is $1 billion. He is the Executive Chairman of Polygon Labs and invests in blockchain and AI ventures. At Sentient Foundation he’s responsible for strategy initiatives.

Sensys

Steering Committee Member

Sensys

Steering Committee Member

Venture studio creating advanced products and applications for Sentient.

Funding of Sentient

$85,000,000

Total Funds Raised

$85,000,000

Total Funds Raised

$85,000,000

Seed Round

$85,000,000

Seed Round

Led by Pantera Capital, Framework Ventures and Founders Fund.

Sentient review

Pros

Community Ownership

Unlike traditional AI systems controlled by large corporations (for example OpenAI), Sentient operates on a decentralized network. This ensures that no single entity has control over the entire system.

Open-Source

Sentient promotes openness by making AI models accessible to anyone. This openness should encourage collaboration and innovation, allowing developers worldwide to contribute. By being open, Sentient aims to attract the best ideas and solutions from a diverse pool of contributors.

Monetization Opportunities

Creators of AI models can monetize their contributions. This is achieved through a blockchain-based incentive mechanism that rewards developers for their work. By providing a path to monetization, Sentient motivates builders to create high-quality AI models and continuously improve them.

Experienced Team

Co-founder of the Polygon is a member of the Sentient Foundation’s committee, while other Sentient contributors are experienced professors, AI researchers and developers.

Cons

Funding Challenges

Non-profit foundations often face less financial flexibility compared to large corporations, making it more challenging to secure funding.

Scalability Issues

Decentralized systems often face slower decision-making due to reliance on consensus. For example, blockchain networks may experience delays in updates or transaction processing as more participants join, challenging scalability.

Competitive Market

Competing with platforms like OpenAI or AWS can limit adoption, as these centralized systems offer advanced tools, large user bases, and proven reliability.

Ethical and Legal Risks

The project might raise ethical concerns about misuse or unintended consequences of open-source models if not adequately governed.