Actualizing the Open Future
From ideals to infrastructure: An actionable path toward generative systems via open-source AI
Many of you have read my previous work about rejecting extractive systems and pushing for open-source AI. And many of you have probably (justifiably) said: “That’s great and all, but what am I supposed to do about it? I may want that as an ideal, but I have no idea how.”
If you’ve had that thought while reading what people have written about open-source - me or anyone else - this post is for you. This post is about the amazing people who are working to actualize the open future, and exactly how you, dear reader, can contribute to making it a reality.
The challenge before us isn’t conceptual anymore. We know the stakes. Proprietary AI, left to corporate logic, will centralize power faster than any empire in history. Extractive systems always promise progress, but they only know how to grow by consuming - energy, data, attention, time.
Open systems, by contrast, grow by sharing. They metabolize abundance instead of hoarding it. They transform competition into contribution. When intelligence itself becomes the resource, the only ethical and sustainable civilization is one that treats it as a commons. Anything less collapses back into empire.
Artificial intelligence is the catalyst. It can accelerate extraction - or it can accelerate evolution. The difference lies in who builds it and why.
All of us know that the extractive systems are rapidly being built. Fortunately, the generative systems are being built as well - there are already people and organizations building the generative alternative. Each of use can choose where we’re going to focus our resources and our attention.
The Builders of the Generative Age
Below are five groups working, right now, to build an open-source future - not in theory, but in code, governance, and community. These are the most credible starting points for anyone who wants to move from philosophy to participation. These are listed in alphabetical order below, along with a quick explanation of their philosophy and the niche they are filling for the future. Specific action items for you can do to contribute to any of these are listed at the bottom of this article.
“Bittensor is an open-source platform on which you can produce competitive digital commodities… rewarded in TAO when you produce the best digital commodities.”
“Open source is a moral imperative.”
Bittensor is constructing a decentralized AI network that rewards anyone who contributes compute or models, turning the act of training intelligence into a public good rather than a corporate asset. Every node strengthens the commons. Bittensor-specific action items here.
“Gaia is building a decentralized ecosystem to support AI applications that learn, improve, and grow over time.”
Gaia is building a distributed web of knowledge graphs and small models that interconnect like roots in soil. Information grows and adapts instead of being stored in proprietary silos - a living ecology of learning. Gaia-specific action items here.
“We are building the best open intelligence for everyone.”
“Build a Bitcoin for the Intelligence Age… gift every human sovereign AI.”
ii.inc is designing a “Proof of Benefit” architecture - a ledger where verified contributions mint shared value. Their goal is to make cooperation more rational than exploitation, and to give every person a sovereign AI collaborator built on fully open-source architecture. ii-specific action items here.
”We prioritize the development of open-source, human-compatible models, which challenge the conventional closed-model approach.”
”Psyche changes how we develop AI by creating a decentralized infrastructure that allows anyone to participate in training large language models. Rather than requiring massive infrastructure with thousands of accelerators in a single location, Psyche coordinates training across distributed, heterogeneous hardware worldwide.”
Nous is democratizing compute itself by distributing model training across idle hardware worldwide. By turning idle GPUs into a shared engine, they’re dissolving one of capitalism’s last monopolies: access to the means of creation. Nous/Psyche-specific action items here.
”Sentient is building the GRID - the largest open intelligence network, where 100+ models, agents, data, tools, and research operate as one.”
The Sentient Foundation is a non-profit hub for open AGI research, funding projects committed to transparency, alignment, and community stewardship. They’re building the scaffolding for intelligence that grows alongside humanity rather than over it. They provide the means for Builders to create truly open-source products. Sentient-specific action items here.
These groups are not competitors, but they would be in an extractive capitalist system. Instead, they’re complementary organs of the same emerging body - the generative civilization forming beneath the noise of extraction. Each addresses a different weakness of the current paradigm: compute inequality, data enclosure, opaque governance, extractive economics. Together, they sketch the outline of a world where intelligence belongs to everyone.
What does this mean for you? It means you can pick the one that is of most interest to you, and contribute there, while still promoting the others through sharing, trusting that others will find resonance with their preferred option as well. If we all contribute, there will always be enough.
Why This Matters Now
If we apply the same archaic habits that defined industrial capitalism to artificial intelligence, we will recreate its worst consequences at planetary scale - monopolies that hoard cognition instead of oil, social hierarchies enforced not by armies but by algorithms.
The old systems cannot be “reformed” into generosity. They were designed to extract. And every time we plug a message into a proprietary model, we reinforce that design - handing over not just our data but our agency.
Open source isn’t a hobby anymore; it’s a moral survival strategy. It has emerged as the single greatest potential counterforce to the perpetuation of extractive systems. Contributing to open-source, therefore, is the single greatest thing you can do to ensure that intelligence remains a shared inheritance rather than a private weapon.
When you support open systems, you’re not doing far more than simply supporting better software. You’re supporting a fundamentally different logic of existence - one that prizes connection over control, transparency over domination, reciprocity over profit.
How You Can Help
Here it is - this is your cue. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a real difference in the world, here is your key. Start small but start now.
Contribute to the open-source initiatives I mentioned above. In general, there are many ways to do so:
- Read and share their manifestos.
- Join their communities.
- Run a node if you can, even a small one.
- Volunteer your contribution to documentation, design, research, or outreach.
- Volunteer time to support their funding drives.
- Invest in their cooperative tokens if you can.
- Share what you learn - write, teach, translate, connect.
Specifically, I've listed at the bottom of this article specific action items you can take for whichever platform you choose.
You don’t have to be a coder to build the open future. Every act of participation - every line written, every dollar contributed, every conversation sparked - strengthens the lattice that will one day replace the proprietary cage.
The open future will not be gifted by benevolent corporations - mutual prosperity from the top down is a myth. True prosperity can only be cultivated from the ground up - by citizens of every kind, the Seekers, the Builders, the Protectors. Everyone.
AI is the catalyst.
We are the reaction.
A generative future it’s absolutely possible - but it needs you, doing your part.
Let’s get to work.
Action items for each platform - choose one or more and contribute however you can
Note about cryptocurrency: You'll notice that nearly all of these, and most open-source AI projects in general, depend heavily on cryptocurrency. The reason for this is that crypto is itself a method of commerce that is built on the open-source philosophy. Consequently, crypto is crucial to building a future without extractive systems. For anyone who has never used cryptocurrency before and has no idea where to start, fear not - next week's post will be a full breakdown on how to get started with cryptocurrency so that you can actively contribute to the open-source future.
Bittensor
- Monetary Contribution
- Acquire TAO Tokens: Buy TAO, Bittensor’s native token, on supported exchanges (such as Gate.io - typically requires registration and verification). futureproofmarketer
- Stake TAO: Support subnets or validators you value by staking TAO using the official Bittensor wallet or browser extension. Staking TAO supports infrastructure on the network and earns rewards. docs
- Shop for Swag: Visit BittenStore to buy merch, which financially supports the community. bittenstore
- Contribute Hardware (Idle GPU)
- Become a Miner: Set up your machine as a miner on one of Bittensor’s AI-related subnets. This involves running the official mining scripts and connecting your idle hardware (GPU or CPU) to contribute compute power to the network. docs
- Earn TAO: Receive TAO rewards for providing meaningful compute contributions to the subnet’s workload. FAQs
- Join Basilica for GPU Rentals: Platforms like Basilica let you rent out GPU power to users in Bittensor’s decentralized marketplace. x
- Advocacy/Community Sharing
- Share on Social Media: Spread the word by sharing Bittensor’s official content, news, and whitepaper on social platforms. github
- Engage in Community: Participate in discussions or organize events in the Bittensor Discord or Telegram channels, or through local meetups to educate and attract new contributors. community-links
- Technical or Open Source Contributions
- Read the Whitepaper: Review the official Bittensor whitepaper for a deep understanding of its mission and protocol. bittensor
- Join Development: Contribute code, documentation, or issue reports via their official GitHub repository.
- Build or Validate Subnets: Join as a miner, validator, or even a subnet creator, depending on your skills and interests. Tutorials and guides are available in the Bittensor docs.
Gaia Network
- Monetary Contribution
- Join Gaia Marketplace: Support the ecosystem by purchasing educational retreats, courses, or curated wellness products in the Gaia Marketplace. Both members and non-members can shop, but joining as a member unlocks additional benefits and discounts. introducing-gaia-marketplace
- Buy Gaia Membership: Sign up for a monthly or annual membership to support Gaia media production and platform development. marketplace.gaia
- Contribute Hardware (CPU/GPU)
- Run a Gaia Node: Install Gaia node software on your home computer, server, or device (supports Mac M-series, NVIDIA GPUs, or standard CPUs on macOS, Linux). system-requirements
- Provide Compute to the Network: By hosting a Gaia node, your device will help run decentralized AI inference and applications, and you’ll be recognized for your contributions. github
- Read Hardware Requirements: Check Gaia documentation for step-by-step node setup on NVIDIA GPUs or Apple Silicon. FAQs
- Advocacy/Community Engagement
- Share Gaia’s Mission: Promote Gaia’s decentralized knowledge network by sharing their website, news, and YouTube videos on your socials. linkedinyoutube
- Community Calls & Forums: Attend bi-weekly OSS core calls and invite friends or colleagues to participate via Gaia’s forum and developer community. Offer feedback, organize events, or host workshops to grow the ecosystem. developer.gaianet
- Amplify Tutorials and Content: If you build or document something with Gaia, share it with the wider developer community. developer.gaianet
- Technical or Open Source Contributions
- Read the Docs and Whitepaper: Get familiar with the Gaia Network by reviewing their documentation, FAQ, and any available whitepapers. primior
- Contribute Code: Fork Gaia projects on GitHub (heygaia/gaia) to report issues, submit fixes, or help with new features - developers can self-host and even extend Gaia’s open source platform. github
- Deploy Public Domains: Explore or build public Gaia domains for open-source LLMs, register a domain, and share your AI agent with others. youtubelinkedin
Intelligent Internet
- Monetary Contribution
- Acquire Foundation Coin (FC): Learn about the platform’s dual-currency “Proof-of-Benefit” system and how FC is minted when verified value is contributed. Engage in actions, contributions, or projects that are eligible for FC rewards according to their master plan and documentation. ii_posts
- Contribute Hardware (Benefit Mining)
- Join Proof-of-Benefit Mining: Instead of wasting energy on meaningless computations, ii.inc rewards beneficial work. Set up your device (potentially CPU/GPU, depending on open calls or agent mining roles) by joining projects or agents - details found in technical docs or via Discord channels. Your work is measured and rewarded through FC minting. ii_posts
- Advocacy/Community Sharing
- Share Official Content: Amplify the platform’s message by sharing their blog posts, whitepaper, and educational resources on social media. ii_posts
- Engage in Discussions: Join official Discord, follow X, and participate in forums to spread awareness, invite new contributors, or organize collaborative projects. linkedin
- Technical or Open Source Contributions
- Review the Whitepaper: Study the complete technical protocol in their whitepaper for a deep understanding and ideas to improve it. ii_posts
- Contribute Code: Fork and submit pull requests to their official GitHub repository (intelligent-internet). Focus on agents (II-Agent), datasets (II-Thought), models (II-Medical), and frameworks (II-Researcher, Common Ground). github
- Create and Document Workflows: Extend open frameworks, create new assistants, or enhance reasoning projects in public repos. Document your achievements and share in community releases or blog. ii_posts
Nous/Psyche
- Monetary Contribution
- Shop for Swag: Buy official Nous Research merchandise via their store to financially support further open-source model development and research. shop
- Sponsor: Look for sponsorship or donation links in major releases (they sometimes accept direct contributions for specific open projects or training runs). finance.yahoo
- Contribute Hardware (Distributed Model Training)
- Join Psyche Pool: Go to psyche.network and run their testnet node software to donate idle compute power and participate in distributed, cooperative model training. This can be done with your home GPU, cloud VM, or a compatible server - follow instructions in their GitHub and Docs pages. nousresearch
- Track Contribution: Your contributions are recognized and ranked in real time (see pool stats and Solana wallet leaderboard). Earn pool rewards as tokens or project recognition. oakresearch
- Advocacy/Community Sharing
- Spread the Word: Share Nous and Psyche’s research papers, model releases, tutorials, and news on Twitter, Discord, Reddit, Substack, and LinkedIn. Amplify new testnets, model leaderboards, and open science results. releases
- Join and Engage: Participate in community forums, Discord, and GitHub issues to share feedback or organize collaborative experiments. Engage in release calls, official channels, and beta model deployment events. github
- Technical or Open Source Contributions
- GitHub Contributions: Contribute code, bug fixes, data curation, or fine-tuning scripts to their open-source repositories (Nous Research, Psyche Foundation). Look for guides in the Docs and FORUM links. github
- Review Whitepapers & Docs: Understand the technical roadmap, active models, and desired contributions by reading model documentation (Psyche Docs, Hermes 4 release), research articles, and FAQ pages. hermes4
- Experiment and Validate: Run or reproduce training, validation, or inference with open-source models like Hermes 4, submit results or improvements, and discuss findings with the community. huggingface
Sentient Foundation
- Monetary Contribution
- Donate or Sponsor: Check for an official donation/sponsorship link via the Sentient Foundation website or partner initiatives (the “Foundation” link or announcement page). Your financial support can help fund open-source releases and model training. sentientworld
- Shop for Swag or Builder Tools: Participate in commercial offerings (if available), platform membership, or their Builder Program and Suite - often tied to community support for new open-source launches. builder
- Contribute Hardware (Model Training, Agent Hosting)
- Host or Run Open-Agents: Use your own hardware (GPU or CPU server) to run open-source agents like ROMA, Open Deep Search, Dobby, or contribute to enclosures with Sentient-Enclaves. Documentation for technical setup lives on their GitHub and docs pages. github
- Test New Releases: Contribute compute to benchmarking, model validation, or decentralized training experiments and report results - often coordinated in Discord, GitHub, or blog callouts. linkedin
- Advocacy/Community Engagement
- Share and Amplify: Promote major blog posts, research articles (e.g., Dobby, ROMA, OML) and product launches on your socials. panteracapital
- Community Chat: Try Sentient Chat, provide feedback, and participate in community calls or artifact tryouts. mage
- Join Builder Program: Invite others, share your journey, and help newcomers in Discord, forums, and Twitter threads. builder
- Technical or Open Source Contributions
- Read the Docs and Papers: Study the Sentient protocol docs, technical reports, and GitHub READMEs for real substance. Review recent whitepapers on agent security, fingerprinting, and benchmarking. binance
- Contribute Code: Fork projects - ROMA, OpenDeepSearch, Fingerprinting, Sentient-Enclaves - on GitHub, submit PRs, bug fixes, new features, or benchmarking tools. github
- Develop New Artifacts: Invent new agents, improve reasoning or security frameworks, or validate model alignment with community benchmarks. builder
