How to Fix AI and IP (and Hollywood), w/ Story Protocol co-founder Jason Zhao
Building blockchain-AI infrastructure to solve IP and licensing issues in Hollywood and creative industries.
Guest
Jason Zhao
Co-founder, Story Protocol
Jason Zhao is a co-founder of Story Protocol, which builds infrastructure for intellectual property in generative AI. Previously associated with Google DeepMind, he has worked across software, blockchain, creators, and licensing, focusing on making ownership and permission more legible for digital content.
About this conversation
Virtually everyone in the AI space and Hollywood can agree on one thing: the system is broken. There’s no clear way of how to handle AI in Hollywood — or virtually any creative field — which has led to confusion, frustration, anger, and lawsuits. No one seems to have a good solution.
Enter Story Protocol.
Story, co-founded by today’s guest Jason Zhao (formerly of Google Deep Mind), is working to build the infrastructure for IP and AI — a network or even a marketplace, of sorts. The tech is a mix of AI and blockchain, and they recently raised $54 million from the likes of a16z and Endeavor to try and pull this off.
Jason and I cover a LOT of ground. We get into the root causes of the problem, possible solutions, how Story Protocol works, and what are the challenges they need to overcome. (And along the way we might have created a Marvel and DC crossover.
Really fun episode.
Story Protocol:
https://www.storyprotocol.xyz
Variety’s story on Story Protocol:
https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/story-protocol-funding-endeavor-david-goyer-1235709843/
Jason’s presentation at the AI Summit at Consensus, which I was honored to host:
https://consensus2024.coindesk.com/agenda/event/-startups-vs-goliath-case-studies-227