Miami, Florida(Hexa PR Wire–March 3, 2026)–Art Abal joins The Michael Peres Podcast to discuss user-owned data networks and how data governance may change as AI training and privacy expectations evolve. Abal, co-founder of Vana, describes how his background across public policy, corporate law, and large-scale data sourcing shaped his view of who controls human data and how it is valued in the AI economy.
In the episode, Abal explains what Vana is building and why consent-based, user-focused data collection could be an alternative to centralized scraping models. He discusses common problems in traditional AI training pipelines, including incentives, opacity, and power concentration, and how better-structured data can improve signal quality while aligning with emerging privacy requirements. The conversation also covers the idea of people controlling and monetizing their data through decentralized networks and what that could mean for governance, compute efficiency, and future AI markets.
About Art Abal
Art Abal is the co-founder of Vana and an expert in data systems focused on human data, AI training pipelines, and governance. He holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard, where his research at the Belfer Center examined human data collection in corporate supply chains. At Appen, he led global impact data sourcing, managing a contributor network of more than 8 million people across 160+ countries and supporting data pipelines for products including Google Search, Facebook Feed, and ChatGPT. Earlier in his career, he served as senior legal and policy advisor to the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste and worked as a corporate lawyer at DLA Piper.
About Michael Peres
Michael Peres (Mikey Peres) is a serial entrepreneur, software engineer, journalist, and author. He has founded media and technology ventures, holds degrees in computer science, mathematics, and Jewish studies, and is pursuing biomedical engineering. Peres founded Hexa PR Wire and serves as Chief Editor for several publications.
About The Michael Peres Podcast
The Michael Peres Podcast features conversations on science, technology, society, entrepreneurship, and current events, emphasizing clear reporting and practical insight.
Contact Information
Art Abal: Email
