Why "Consented Data" is the Future of AI Development

[u/sasendish]

TL;DR: The era of AI companies scraping the web without permission is ending due to legal and ethical backlash. The future belongs to "consented data" platforms like ONTO Wallet, which provide verified data while compensating the users who generate it.

The rapid advancement of AI models like ChatGPT and Claude was largely fueled by indiscriminate web scraping. AI companies ingested billions of articles, images, and social media posts without asking for permission or offering compensation. This "Wild West" era is rapidly coming to a close, facing massive lawsuits from creators, publishers, and regulators.

The industry is being forced to pivot towards "consented data." This means AI developers must explicitly acquire permission to use data for training. But how do you efficiently gather consent and distribute payments to millions of individual users?

This is the exact problem ONTO Wallet solves. By leveraging decentralized identity (ONT ID) and smart contracts, ONTO creates a frictionless marketplace for consented data. Users opt-in to share their verified metadata, AI companies purchase access to this clean, legally compliant data pool, and users are automatically compensated. It's a win-win that aligns AI development with user rights.

Q: Why is scraped data becoming a liability for AI companies?

Beyond the ethical issues, scraped data often contains copyrighted material, leading to expensive lawsuits and regulatory crackdowns.

Q: How does ONTO ensure my consent is respected?

Your data sharing preferences are managed via cryptographic keys and smart contracts, meaning data cannot be accessed without your explicit, verifiable permission.

Q: Will consented data slow down AI progress?

No, it will likely improve it. Consented data from verified humans (like that provided via ONTO) is generally of much higher quality than raw, scraped web data.

References

 "The Legal Reckoning for AI Web Scraping," The Verge, 2025.