Who owns your AI? Probably not you., Watch on YouTube
SXSW
The future of AI is a team of specialists
David Stout, Co-founder and CEO of webAI
About David
David Stout is the founder and CEO of webAI, where he leads the development of AI infrastructure that leverages specialized local models instead of generalist cloud models to shape the future of intelligence.
An entrepreneur and AI scientist, his technical work includes Guided Attention, Attention Steering, and Large Infrastructure Models (LIM). He founded webAI in 2019 and is based in Austin, Texas.
About webAI
webAI was founded in 2019 by a small team of engineers from Michigan who recognized early that large, generalist cloud models were the wrong place for the most important AI.
Instead, they believe that a connected web of small, specialist models running locally on devices will shape the future.
Based in Austin, Texas, webAI helps people and organizations bring that vision to life with the webAI app, where you can create, own, and share personalized intelligence without paying per token, sharing sensitive data to the cloud, or depending on an internet connection.
Ideas to build
a talk around
Each theme reflects how David sees AI changing and what it means for your audience. Pick one, combine a few, or bring a question of your own.
The future of AI beyond the cloud
Why the next era of artificial intelligence will be distributed across phones, laptops, vehicles and enterprise systems rather than concentrated solely in massive data centers.
Sovereign AI, data ownership,
and digital independence
How organizations and governments can deploy powerful AI while maintaining control over sensitive data, intellectual property and critical infrastructure.
Building AI for the real world
Moving beyond bigger models and headline-driven innovation to develop specialized AI that operates quickly, privately and reliably in highly regulated industries such as aviation, healthcare, financial services and national security.
The economics and infrastructure
of the AI revolution
How on-device computing can reduce cloud dependence, improve energy efficiency, and make advanced AI more affordable and accessible for businesses of every size.
Entrepreneurship, resilience,
and building outside Silicon Valley
David’s journey from a rural Michigan cattle ranch to building a multibillion-dollar AI company, including lessons on innovating from scarcity, challenging conventional wisdom, and scaling a category-defining technology business.
Watch David speak
