In this first episode of The AI and I Show, host Chris Parker talks with internet pioneer and author Doc Searls about how we can reclaim our digital lives in the age of artificial intelligence. As one of the original authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto, Doc helped define the early internet as a place for human conversation and connection. Over time, that vision was taken over by industrial-age marketing that treats people as data and targets.

Doc reflects on that shift and shares how his later work, including Project VRM and The Intention Economy, points toward a future where individuals can take back control through what he calls Personal AI. Unlike “personalized AI,”which is tuned for corporate benefit, true Personal AI works for the individual, giving people ownership of their data and agency in their digital lives.

For business leaders, innovators, and anyonenavigating the rise of AI, this episode offers both a wake-up call and a vision for what it means to build technology with humanity at the center.

Guest Bio
Doc Searls is a journalist, author, and internet visionary. He co-authored The Cluetrain Manifesto, a landmark bookthat redefined markets as conversations. His second book, The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge, explored how individuals can shape their relationships with companies. Doc founded Project VRM at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and serves as Chief Intention Officer at Kwaai, an open-source personal AIinitiative. He also hosts the podcast Reality 2.0. Learn more at doc.searls.com and Kwaai.ai.

Notable Quotes
“We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers. We are human beings and our reach exceeds your grasp. Deal with it.”
“Without contract, we don’t have privacy. And if we don’t have privacy, we don’t have agency.”
“It’s a blue ocean. It’s not a red ocean. It’s empty.”

Learn more about how to bring AI into your organization with humanity at the center at Ebullient.com.

AI That Works For You vs AI THat Works For Them - Doc Searls