The burgeoning field of artificial intelligence faces a significant ethical and legal challenge regarding intellectual property rights. AI models often train on vast datasets containing creator content without clear permission or fair compensation. Addressing this critical issue, a new Crypto AI venture, Camp Network, aims to build a foundational solution, securing $30 million in Series A funding. The round saw major participation from prominent VCs 1kx and Blockchain Capital, signaling strong investor confidence.
Camp Network’s platform focuses on establishing verifiable ownership for digital creations like art and music. Creators can register their intellectual property on the blockchain, embedding specific usage terms and royalty expectations directly into the digital asset.
AI developers seeking data for training models can access this registered content. However, utilizing the data requires adherence to the embedded terms, managed through smart contracts, ensuring automatic royalty distribution.
When AI utilizes the data, the blockchain protocol triggers and executes payments in crypto tokens directly to the creators’ wallets. This creates a transparent, on-chain compensation system designed to finally bridge the gap between AI development and fair creator remuneration.
James Chi, a co-founder, highlighted the critical need for provenance in an AI-driven content landscape. He stated their goal is to make “ownership and value enforceable by design,” emphasizing the foundational role of verifiable origins.
Peter Pan, Partner at lead investor 1kx, expressed high hopes, envisioning Camp Network building “the onchain equivalent of Hollywood.” This suggests a potential new wave of crypto-native entertainment applications built upon this IP framework.
The project’s backing extends beyond the lead investors, including notable names like dao5, Lattice, Maven 11, Hypersphere, and OKX. The involvement of established firms like 1kx (an early Celestia supporter) and Blockchain Capital lends significant weight to the initiative’s potential to reshape AI data usage.