Thanks to Her and numerous other works of science fiction, it’s pretty easy to imagine a world in which everyone has their own personalized AI assistant — a helper who knows who we are, our occupations, our hobbies, our goals and passions, our likes and dislikes…what makes us “tick,” essentially.

Some AI tools today offer a fairly bare bones, limited version of this functionality, such as ChatGPT’s memory feature and CharacterAI. But these still rely on your information flowing up to corporate servers outside of your control for analysis and processing. They also don’t allow for many third-party transactions, having your AI assistant make purchases on your behalf.

For those especially concerned about privacy, or who want an AI model that actually retrains itself to adapt to the user’s individual preferences — making a unique AI assistant unlike any in the entire world — you’re kind of on your own.

Until now: a new startup called PIN AI (not to be confused with the poorly reviewed hardware device the Ai Pin by Humane) today emerged from stealth to launch its first mobile app, which lets a user select an underlying open source AI model that runs directly, largely on their smartphone and remains private and totally customized to their preferences.

Built with a decentralized infrastructure that prioritizes privacy, PIN AI aims to challenge Big Tech’s dominance over user data by ensuring that Personal AI serves individuals—not corporate interests.

Founded by AI and blockchain experts from Columbia, MIT, and Stanford, PIN AI is led by Davide Crapis, Ben Wu, and Bill Sun, who bring deep experience in AI research, large-scale data infrastructure, and blockchain security.

The company is backed by major investors, including a16z Crypto (CSX), Hack VC, Sequoia Capital U.S. Scout, and prominent blockchain pioneers like Near founder Illia Polosukhin, SOL Foundation president Lily Liu, SUI founder Evan Cheng, and Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.

Personal AI realized

PIN AI introduces an alternative to centralized AI models that collect and monetize user data. Unlike cloud-based AI controlled by large tech firms, PIN AI’s Personal AI runs locally on user devices, allowing for secure, customized AI experiences without third-party surveillance.

At the heart of PIN AI is a user-controlled data bank, which enables individuals to store and manage their own personal information while allowing developers access to anonymized, multi-category insights—ranging from shopping habits to investment strategies. This approach ensures that AI-powered services can benefit from high-quality contextual data without compromising user privacy.

“The problem today is that all the big players claim they do personal AI—Apple, Google, Meta—but what are they really doing?” said Davide Crapis, Co-Founder of PIN AI, in an in-person interview with VentureBeat conducted earlier this month. “They’re taking the gold mine in your phone and exploiting all that information to figure out what to push to you.”

PIN AI launched a web-only version late last year that has already gained tremendous traction, with over 2 million alpha users via Telegram and a Discord community of 220,000 members.

The new mobile app launching today in the U.S. and multiple regions also includes key features such as:

• The “God Model” (Guardian of Data) – A tool that helps users track how well their AI understands them, ensuring it aligns with their preferences.

• Ask PIN AI – A personalized AI assistant capable of handling tasks like financial planning, travel coordination, and product recommendations.

• Open-source integrations – Users can connect apps like Gmail, social media platforms, and financial services to their Personal AI, training it to better serve them without exposing data to third parties.

“With our app, you have a personal AI that is your model. You own the weights, and it’s completely private, with privacy-preserving fine-tuning,” Crapis added.

He told VentureBeat that the app currently supports several open source AI models as the base model from which the user can begin personalizing their assistant, including small versions of DeepSeek and Meta’s Llama.

Blockchain-based ledger for credentials and data access

PIN AI’s infrastructure is built on blockchain protocols, ensuring security, transparency, and user control.

• Data is stored locally – Unlike cloud-based AI systems, PIN AI keeps all user data on personal devices rather than centralized servers.

• Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for authentication – Credentials and sensitive computations occur within a secure enclave, preventing external access—even from PIN AI itself.

• Blockchain registry for financial transparency – Key actions are authenticated on-chain while user data remains private and locally stored.

• Interoperability with emerging AI protocols – PIN AI is designed to integrate with future decentralized AI and blockchain projects, ensuring long-term adaptability.

By decentralizing AI infrastructure, PIN AI aims to balance privacy, security, and efficiency, allowing users to retain ownership of their digital footprint while still benefiting from AI-driven insights and automation.

“We designed our protocol around privacy using modern cryptographic methods like Trusted Execution Environments. No one—not even us—can see your authentication keys,” Crapis said.

User-based AI focus

The launch of PIN AI comes at a time when concerns over data privacy and AI monopolization are at an all-time high.

Ben Wu, Co-Founder of PIN AI, emphasized the importance of data sovereignty, stating, “We’re uniting open-source AI builders and developers to build a foundation for open personal AI, where the user owns the AI 100%.”

Bill Sun, Co-Founder, explained the broader vision: “Think of it like J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Man—the most loyal executive system that evolves into your personal AI assistant.”

Crapis further elaborated on PIN AI’s approach, stating, “We’re creating a data bank that lets you reclaim your personal data from big tech—your Google data, Facebook data, even Robinhood and financial data—so your personal AI can run on it.”

Beyond personal use, PIN AI envisions a network of personal AI agents that can interact with external services on the user’s behalf.

“Your personal AI can coordinate with other personal AIs, interact with business AIs, and even autonomously execute tasks like buying a gift for a friend based on past conversations,” Sun explained.

PIN AI’s co-founders told VentureBeat that they will make money by charging transaction fees for other AI agents to access users’ information — with their permission.

What’s next for PIN AI?

With AI technology rapidly evolving, PIN AI aims to define the future of personalized, decentralized AI. By combining on-device intelligence, blockchain security, and open-source integrations, the company provides an alternative to Big Tech-controlled AI models, ensuring that individuals—not corporations—own and control their data.

“Our business model is simple: instead of a centralized company like Apple or Google taking a huge cut, we take a small commission on agent interactions—more like a gas fee on Ethereum,” Wu explained.

“This is just the beginning,” Sun added. “In the future, your AI will connect with everything—your desktop, your smart devices, even your humanoid robots—while keeping your privacy intact.”

The PIN AI app is available now, offering a new level of privacy, security, and personalization in AI-driven experiences.

For more information, visit PIN AI’s website or download the app to start building your Personal AI.