Story Protocol's Jason Zhao explains how AI is going to transform the $60 trillion IP industry
Jan 30, 2025
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Jason Zhao, Co-founder of Story Protocol, dives deep into the transformative role of AI in the $60 trillion intellectual property landscape. He discusses how blockchain empowers creators to monetize their work without intermediaries, democratizing access to creativity. Zhao offers insights on navigating the AI space for beginners and explores the intricacies of IP in an AI-driven world, balancing authenticity and protection. The conversation uncovers the challenges and innovations reshaping how knowledge is valued and exchanged.
Story Protocol aims to democratize access to the $61 trillion intellectual property market by enabling creators to monetize their IP directly and transparently.
As AI evolves, the platform seeks to redefine ownership paradigms, facilitating collaboration between human creators and AI-generated content for new revenue opportunities.
Deep dives
Introduction of Uranium Marketplace
A new marketplace for trading uranium has been launched, aimed at increasing accessibility for retail investors. As global energy demands rise, particularly for nuclear power as part of decarbonization efforts, the demand for uranium, specifically U308, is also surging. Historically, entry barriers in the uranium market were high, with minimum purchase requirements limiting retail participation. The introduction of tokenized uranium allows individuals to invest in physical uranium more easily, breaking down these barriers with accessible pricing and eliminating the need for complex storage solutions.
Jason Zhao's Journey and Story Protocol
Jason Zhao's journey into the crypto space began in his grandmother's kitchen, initially through involvement with Dogecoin. His passion intensified during the DeFi summer, when he recognized the political potential of blockchain technology, contrasting it with his background in AI research at DeepMind. Zhao's interest in the intersection of philosophy and technology fueled his entrepreneurial aspirations, leading to the foundation of Story Protocol. The aim of Story is to create a decentralized platform focused on intellectual property, leveraging the rapid development cycles seen in the crypto space.
Decentralization of Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) represents a $61 trillion asset class, yet it remains highly inaccessible, primarily benefiting large institutions. Story Protocol seeks to democratize access to IP, allowing creative individuals to create, register, and monetize their own intellectual properties without relying on cumbersome and opaque legal systems. By establishing a platform that digitizes IP rights, Story enables creators to connect directly with users, fostering a peer-to-peer marketplace. This also introduces programmable IP opportunities, allowing creators to set terms and conditions that automatically apply whenever their works are used.
AI and the Future of Content Creation
As AI technology evolves, concerns over IP rights become increasingly pertinent, particularly in how content creators can protect their works. Story Protocol aims to create a marketplace where both traditional IP holders and AI-generated content can coexist efficiently, allowing for seamless transactions. This model promotes collaboration between human creators and AI tools, enabling the emergence of new, revenue-generating opportunities for artists and content creators. Ultimately, the platform seeks to redefine ownership paradigms in the age of AI, allowing individuals to maintain control over their creations while leveraging decentralized technologies.
The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Story Protocol Co-Founder Jason Zhao.
In this episode, Chaparro and Zhao discussed the inefficiencies and challenges in the current IP landscape, and how Story aims to address these by allowing creators to monetize and license their IP in a more open and efficient manner, especially in the context of the rise of AI.