Dr. Max Li on How OORT Is Changing AI with Decentralization

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In an exclusive interview with KnowTechie, OORT founder and Columbia University professor Dr. Max Li pulls back the curtain on one of Web3’s most intriguing projects: a decentralized cloud platform for AI applications.

While tech giants like OpenAI and Google dominate headlines with their centralized AI models, OORT is quietly building something different. Their vision? A future where AI development is transparent, privacy-focused, and truly decentralized.

What makes this particularly interesting is that OORT isn’t just another whitepaper project—it’s already serving nearly 10,000 customers, including tech heavyweights like Dell and Lenovo.

Their recently launched Data Hub platform has attracted 80,000 data contributors in just one month without any marketing push.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Li shares insights on everything from the looming AI data shortage crisis to why decentralization isn’t just a buzzword but a necessity for AI’s future.

Quick Takeaways:
• OORT has launched two major products: decentralized storage and a data collection platform
• By 2026, there may be a severe shortage of AI training data
• The platform already has partnerships with StorageA, Filecoin, and other major players
• Users can earn tokens by contributing data through the OORT app

As both a tech founder and academic, his perspective offers a unique glimpse into where AI is headed – and why transparency matters more than ever.

Watch our full interview below to learn why decentralized AI might be the next big shift in how we build and train artificial intelligence. To learn more about OORT, check out their website here: https://www.oortech.com/.

About Dr. Max Li:
Dro. Max Li is the founder and CEO of OORT and a faculty member at Columbia University’s electrical engineering department. He has been teaching AI courses at the graduate level since 2017 and is also a contributor to Forbes, where he writes about decentralized AI and data collection.

What do you think about the future of decentralized AI platforms like OORT? Do you believe transparency and privacy will change how AI develops? Share your thoughts in the comments below.