Techdirt Why Data Portability Is Crucial For The AI Future
54 snips
Aug 19, 2025 Chris Riley, Executive Director of the Data Transfer Initiative, dives into the critical need for data portability in the age of AI. He emphasizes how user control over personal data is vital to prevent AI from controlling us. The discussion also tackles the challenges of service lock-in and the competitive landscape of AI providers. Furthermore, Riley highlights the shift towards locally hosted AI models driven by trust issues, and the importance of regulations like the DMA and GDPR in fostering a robust data portability ecosystem.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Control Determines AI's Democratic Impact
- Who controls AI determines whether it helps or harms democracy by concentrating power or empowering users.
- Data sovereignty and user agency are central to keeping AI tools democratic.
Commodification Makes Portability Essential
- Generative AI is becoming commodified so switching providers should be feasible for many tasks.
- Portability prevents lock-in when value comes from long-term personalized histories.
Export Your Conversation And Integrated Data
- Treat conversation histories and personal-integrated data (calendars, uploads) as your personal data and preserve export rights.
- Demand tools that let you take and reuse that personal dataset across services.