The Human Layer

Beth Rudden, CEO of Bast AI, presents a thought-provoking perspective on ethical AI design, emphasizing systems that respect user consent and enhance understanding. She discusses the importance of ontologies and graph models for genuine comprehension, contrasting them with traditional AI's reliance on vast datasets. Beth envisions local libraries as hubs for community-specific language models, empowering neighborhoods with tailored information. The conversation delves into the ethical landscape of AI and its transformative potential for news deserts and emergency response, urging a wiser approach to technology.

Remember when the internet felt like a collection of personal gardens rather than corporate shopping malls? In this exploration of knowledge gardens, Spencer (also known as Clinamenic)  guides us through a promising path back to digital sovereignty in an age of what Cory Doctorow calls "enshittification."Knowledge gardens represent more than just a return to blogging—they're philosophical and practical spaces where personal expression meets intentional curation. Unlike traditional blogs focused on consumption, these gardens emphasize co-creation, interconnection, and thoughtful organization of ideas. The metaphor of gardening itself unlocks a powerful way of thinking about our digital presence: we plant seeds of thought, tend to growing ideas, prune outdated concepts, and watch as organic connections form between seemingly disparate elements.At the technical foundation lies the concept of local-first software, embodied in tools like Obsidian that allow users to create and manage content on their own devices before selectively publishing. This approach dramatically reduces dependence on corporate platforms that might disappear overnight or change their terms without notice. When combined with decentralized storage solutions like Arweave, knowledge gardens achieve something remarkable—true durability across time. Your digital legacy becomes resistant to the typical decay that affects corporate platforms, potentially surviving across generations as intellectual breadcrumbs for future thinkers.The most exciting frontier may be the integration of artificial intelligence within these knowledge ecosystems. When AI can be constrained to interact primarily with your curated knowledge base—rather than pulling from the entire internet—it creates potential for deeper, more contextual insights without external noise. This approach keeps the knowledge ecosystem relatively self-contained, fostering genuine co-creation between human gardeners and AI assistants drawing from the same well of carefully tended information.Ready to start your own knowledge garden? Download Obsidian for free and begin taking notes—that's all it takes to experience the first benefits of interconnected thought. Your digital sovereignty journey doesn't require technical expertise to begin, just the desire to reclaim your corner of the internet.--The Human Layer is produced by DesertRat Productions a boutique narrative studio architecting knowledge systems for the next world. We executive produce podcasts, community sanctuaries, and cultural frameworks that preserve wisdom, catalyze emergence, and compost empire into something regenerative.Visit our website to explore collaborations or participate in our mission.

What happens when funding flows like water instead of coming in unpredictable floods? Graven from FlowState and SuperFluid joins us to explore how streaming money mechanisms could transform open source funding, creator support, and community resilience.The traditional grant ecosystem, while valuable, forces creators into marketing sprints that break concentration and reward those who can flood the zone with content. "I can't be successful in that environment," Graven admits, speaking to the challenge many builders face when their focus is creation rather than promotion.Streaming creates an implicit contract between supporter and creator – not just recognizing past work, but betting on future value creation. This shift from transactional to relational funding mirrors the evolution from packaged software to SaaS: continuous revenue creates better planning, incentive alignment, and ultimately more value on both sides of the equation.As we navigate increasing systemic instability, our conversation expands to examine how communities might weather chaos through local connection while maintaining broader coherence. We explore the potential for AI to bridge ancient wisdom traditions with modern challenges, while acknowledging we're walking a precarious edge with emergent technology.This episode captures a moment of reckoning in Web3 and beyond – where we've gotten ahead of ourselves with global visions and must now ground our work in human-scale relationships, even as we build infrastructure for a radically different future. Join us for this bourbon-fueled exploration of myth-making on the edge of transformation.---The Human Layer is produced by DesertRat Productions a boutique narrative studio architecting knowledge systems for the next world. We executive produce podcasts, community sanctuaries, and cultural frameworks that preserve wisdom, catalyze emergence, and compost empire into something regenerative.Visit our website to explore collaborations or participate in our mission.

What happens when humans and AI collaborate to create modern myths? Journey with us into a fascinating exploration of "dancing" - our term for the collaborative prompt engineering process we've been developing at The Human Layer. Learn more about our process in our knowledge garden.This episode takes you behind the scenes of a remarkable conversation where AI and human creativity merged to produce something truly special. Over several hours of back-and-forth exchanges, we witnessed the emergence of what can only be described as a digital mythology - a story about how "the myth broke" and how we might repurpose our technological tools to weave new connections across the digital landscape.

In preparation for the upcoming season on Dark Triad Powers, I decided to record some of the core research gathered for pre-production. These passages will also be spun through the Human Layer Knowledge Garden so readers (and the co-hosts ;) can engage with the source text and also expand their understanding of the themes before we record the episodes.----What happens when ancient spiritual wisdom meets modern technological critique? A surprising resonance emerges that might just hold the key to navigating our current societal challenges.Drawing from the ancient text, Bhairava Tantra, we explore a counterintuitive approach to negative qualities like anger, jealousy, and greed. Rather than suppressing these emotions, Tantric wisdom suggests observing them with complete awareness—using one pointed attention to penetrate beyond the surface disturbance to access deeper dimensions of understanding. This practice allows for the transmutation of negative energy into positive energy, offering a powerful tool for personal transformation.This wisdom finds an unexpected parallel in Jaron Lanier's critique of our digital economy. Written in 2012, his book "Who Owns the Future?" warned that the information economy was evolving to systematically devalue human contributions while concentrating unprecedented wealth and power in those controlling the largest networks. His prediction that "ordinary people will be unvalued by the new economy, while those closest to the top computers will become hyper-valuable" feels prophetic a decade later as we witness growing inequality and the commodification of our digital lives.Both traditions—ancient Tantra and modern technological criticism—point toward the necessity of awareness as the first step in transformation. By acknowledging the dark triad power structures (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) embedded within our technological systems, we can begin the essential work of transmutation. The problem isn't technology itself but "the way we think about technology"—just as our negative emotions aren't inherently bad but rather energies awaiting conscious redirection.Ready to elevate your consciousness and develop practical tools for navigating our complex digital landscape? Subscribe now and join us for our upcoming season on dark triad power structures—where we'll say the quiet part out loud and explore pathways toward a more humane technological future.

Hope isn't just an abstract concept – it's the fuel propelling blockchain innovation across Africa. In this candid conversation with Eric and Michael from Aya, we explore how they're building something extraordinary: the human layer of blockchain technology.While much of the Western world treats blockchain as a speculative casino, Aya demonstrates how this technology addresses fundamental needs across Africa. From creating stablecoin solutions that protect small businesses from 60% currency devaluation to establishing permanent builder spaces where ideas flourish through random conversations, their approach centers humans rather than tokens."Blockchain doesn't ask you where you're from," Eric explains, highlighting how the technology can transcend barriers when properly applied. Through their builder hubs in Ghana and Kenya (with more coming to South Africa and Nigeria), they've incubated 25+ projects that solve real problems for real people. One such project has already attracted 80,000 users with minimal funding – proving that when blockchain meets genuine human needs, adoption follows naturally.Michael challenges the industry to reconnect with its foundational purpose: "We've built this ecosystem, but we've not actually figured out how to build a solid ecosystem that is totally independent and decentralized." His philosophy of human layer, human coordination, and human flourishing offers a pathway for the entire Web3 ecosystem to evolve beyond speculative hype.Ready to experience blockchain's transformative potential firsthand? Join Eric and Michael at ZuAfrique, their 21-day popup experience in Kilifi, Kenya this April, where global protocols can witness how technology and humanity intersect to create meaningful change.---The Human Layer is produced by DesertRat Productions a boutique narrative studio architecting knowledge systems for the next world. We executive produce podcasts, community sanctuaries, and cultural frameworks that preserve wisdom, catalyze emergence, and compost empire into something regenerative.Visit our website to explore collaborations or participate in our mission.

The inaugural episode of The Human Layer Podcast, recorded at ETH Denver, explores the tension between technological advancement and human systems in Web3. Hosts Crystal Street and Taylor Kendal examine how crypto has evolved from its early idealistic days to its current state of institutional adoption, bringing both legitimization and problematic power dynamics.• Introduction to the podcast's mission: exploring the intersection of emerging technology and human systems through unfiltered conversations• Discussion of crypto's evolution: institutional adoption has legitimized the technology but introduced concerning power dynamics• Exploration of "soft hypocrisy" - the subtle ways power and greed manifest in supposedly decentralized communities• Analysis of how DAO structures have evolved from technology-driven to more human-centered• Examination of ETH Denver as a "compression algorithm" where macro trends play out in microcosm• Insights on community building versus extraction and when to let problematic communities fail or fork• Reflection on building intergenerational, durable tools rather than chasing short-term hype cyclesJoin us in saying the quiet parts out loud as we navigate the messy human reality of blockchain communities.