Vana is about every person being in control of their digital selves. Every click, keystroke, download, and digital interaction has woven a unique tapestry for each individual. AI has the power to use that tapestry to recreate a digital version of you. This will be transformative in terms of unlocking humanity’s potential, but it could be dystopian if digital “you” falls into the wrong hands. We think the right hands are the individuals, and we’ve created a system that allows individuals to control access to their digital selves and explore this amazing new world, without needing to go through a company.

We believe that your data, the AI derived from that data (your VNA), and the content generated by that data should be owned by you and under your control. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today. In most places, the data, AI models, and content are owned by the company that is hosting it on their server - think big tech. Over the past few years, society has tried to introduce measures to offer greater control and ownership over data to users, however, over the past year, the landscape has shifted because of advancements in AI and the law is still catching up. We think these should be yours to own and use, as you wish. That’s why we’re empowering you to reclaim your data and use it to create a digital self which you own and control.

In the Vana app, we give users control over their VNA, their AI, their data and any content generated. You can add or delete data whenever you please and we don’t keep a copy of any data that is deleted. You can also manage your data with personal support from our Community Support team by emailing support@vana.com. One of our agents will help you to remove or port any of the data you have with Vana.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) can sometimes have a biased view of the world because it learns from a limited portion of data available publicly on the internet. For instance, if you ask AI to generate an image of a "domestic helper", it might show a picture that reflects racial stereotypes. To improve AI and reduce such biases, we need to teach it using a more diverse and real-world set of data. This is where our personal data comes in - data about real people from different backgrounds can help AI understand and respect the diversity of our society. However, using personal data without people's permission is not right and cannot continue in the long run - society has cottoned-on to these sorts of practices. This is where the concept of 'participatory AI' comes in, and it's what Vana supports. It means that you, as an individual, control your digital self - your personal data. You get to decide who can use your data, what they can use it for, and if they should pay you if they profit from it. In this way, 'participatory AI' makes you an active participant in shaping AI, helping to ensure it understands and celebrates diversity, while respecting your privacy and your rights.

The Vana app provides tools that let you use AI to create unique experiences. For example, if you are an artist, you can transform your artwork into an interactive experience where users can see themselves as part of your art. We're also working on deeper collabs in a range of fields like gaming, fashion, retail, and creative arts to come up with more opportunities for using the digital self and AI in innovative ways. If you have ideas and want to collaborate, we're all ears! Just send us an email at support@vana.com and we can arrange a meeting to brainstorm together.

In short, you do. You own the content that is produced using your AI and your creativity. You do what you want with it. If you use something that is generated in collaboration with another Vana user, it’s courteous and kind to credit them.