"In the age of AI, privacy is the foundation of human autonomy," says Sudo.

On this episode of The Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Sudo, Executive Director of SovRight (the nonprofit successor to the Electric Coin Company), to discuss privacy in the age of AI.

Sudo, part of the flourishing Zcash community, argues the battle isn’t just about protecting people’s data from surveillance. It’s about preserving our “right to choose” on the internet.

The conversation traces Sudo's journey from traditional finance to blockchain after witnessing the inefficiencies of a $100 million escrow transaction, an experience that revealed the transformative potential of smart contracts. From there, the discussion expands into the growing risks posed by AI, centralized data collection, digital identity, and the invisible systems that increasingly influence our everyday decisions.

Rather than viewing privacy as a simple checkbox or regulatory requirement, Sudo argues privacy should empower individuals to decide who can access their information, when, and for what purpose. As AI agents automate more of our daily lives, maintaining meaningful control over personal data may become one of the defining challenges of the decade.

The episode also explores:

Why AI may quietly erode personal choice through manipulation and default automation
How privacy tools can become more intuitive instead of more complicated
SovRight's mission following its transition from the Electric Coin Company
Zcash's efforts to improve decentralization, wallet recovery, and network resilience
The future of private AI inference and quantum-resistant privacy technologies
Why mission-driven communities may become increasingly important as AI reshapes the internet

If AI is changing the internet, what safeguards will ensure people remain in control of their own lives? This conversation explores why the future of privacy may ultimately determine the future of human freedom.

Why It Matters
As AI systems become embedded in everything from payments to healthcare to everyday online interactions, the ability to control personal information is becoming increasingly complex. This episode examines how privacy technologies must evolve beyond encryption to protect individual choice, autonomy, and digital sovereignty in an AI-driven world.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest

Michelle Lai (sudo) is Executive Chair of SovRight, the nonprofit organization advancing privacy technologies and supporting the Zcash ecosystem. A longtime privacy advocate and blockchain leader, she focuses on protecting individual choice in an AI driven world while helping build secure, decentralized infrastructure for the future

SovRight:sovright.com

Zcash: https://z.cash

X (Michelle Lai / sudo_ml): https://x.com/sudo_ml

X (SovRight): x.com/sovright_

GitHub: https://github.com/sovright

About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.
Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media