The AI boom is accelerating—and so is the concentration of power behind it. As large tech companies control massive language models and user data, questions about autonomy, transparency, and fairness are becoming unavoidable. In this TFiR clip, Hilary Carter, SVP of Research at the Linux Foundation, argued that open source and decentralization are essential for preserving agency in the age of artificial intelligence.

“Very few organizations control the vast majority of our web applications,” Carter said. “And that concentration… has created algorithmic chaos.”

She pointed to platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google—noting how control over data and content algorithms has led to echo chambers, manipulation, and even erosion of democratic processes. That same centralization, she warns, is happening with AI models.

The solution? Shift from platforms built around single points of control to those anchored in distributed networks.

“We need to be the proprietors of our own data and get our data back,” Carter emphasized. “That’s the only way we can have greater control over our online identity.”

Carter draws a historical line between the rise of decentralized technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and today’s conversation around AI. These platforms demonstrated how distributed governance and infrastructure could work at scale—and offer a blueprint for AI systems that aren’t dependent on any single corporation.

“The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) allowed innovators to create applications on a decentralized network,” she explained. “It’s time we brought those principles into the world of AI.”

But it’s not just about where data lives. It’s about who benefits from it. As AI models are increasingly trained on personal user data, Carter stressed the importance of building systems where users have real choice and visibility.

And that, she argues, is only possible through open source.

“Open source enables this shift,” she said. “It allows for transparency, collaboration, and innovation without lock-in—and it’s how we build a better internet.”

As governments, enterprises, and communities consider how AI should be governed, voices like Carter’s are crucial. Without deliberate efforts to decentralize AI infrastructure and democratize access, the tools that promise to serve us may end up controlling us.

Decentralizing AI And Restoring Data Control Through Open Source | Hilary Carter