This web3 startup compensates creators for data used to train AI models

Blockchain platform Story has partnered with Stability AI to enable fair compensation for creators contributing to AI development, backed by $140 million in funding.

Core mission: Story aims to solve the challenge of tracking and monetizing creative work generated through AI by implementing blockchain technology for attribution and compensation.

• The platform addresses the gap between rapid AI advancement and proper compensation for intellectual property creators
• Story will integrate Stability AI’s foundational image models across its ecosystem applications
• The system enables tracking of contributions throughout the AI development lifecycle

Key partnerships and applications: Two initial applications demonstrate Story’s practical implementation of creator compensation and IP protection.

• Mahojin, a search-to-generate AI remixing platform, integrates Story’s blockchain with Stability AI’s models
• ABLO, a collaborative AI platform for physical goods design, showcases how creators can work with brand IPs while maintaining proper attribution
• Stability AI, creator of Stable Diffusion, brings its technology used by over 5 million people for image generation

Technical implementation: Story’s blockchain infrastructure creates a transparent system for tracking and monetizing creative contributions.

• Creators can register training data, including unique artistic styles or voices, as IP with clear usage terms
• The platform enables fine-tuning of AI models using registered IP while ensuring fair compensation
• When monetized content is generated, all contributors in the creation chain receive benefits

Corporate background: The project brings together significant expertise and financial backing.

• PIP Labs, Story’s core contributor, has raised funding from prominent investors including A16z crypto, Endeavor, and Polychain
• The founding team includes a serial entrepreneur with a $440 million exit and DeepMind’s youngest PM
• Leadership includes experienced professionals from consumer tech, generative AI, and Web3 infrastructure

Future implications: Story’s approach to combining AI and blockchain technology could reshape how creative work is valued and compensated in the digital age, though successful implementation will require widespread adoption by both creators and AI platforms.