Hey there! Get ready for an amazing interview with Jon, the remarkable founder of AI Blockchain Ventures. We had a super candid and insightful chat where he spilled the beans about his upbringing, his wild journey as an entrepreneur, and his burning passion for using open-source AI tech to totally shake up the 3D animation world. It’s all about empowering those talented artists and storytellers out there, folks! Jon really digs deep into the hurdles he’s faced, the mind-blowing impact of his innovations, and why it’s crucial to keep that creativity and security intact in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. So buckle up and let’s dive right in!
What was your childhood like growing up? Have you always been entrepreneurial, and do you have any entrepreneurs in your family?
In a personal reflection, Jon discusses his childhood experiences, including the influence of his father’s entrepreneurial ventures and his brother’s guidance in maximizing productivity and global impact.
Key takeaways
- Jonathan Capriola is the founder of AI Blockchain Ventures, which uses open-source AI to automate parts of the 3D animation process.
- The platform's aim is to let any creator upload or generate 3D characters, tell a story with AI assistance, then distribute or sell that story on-chain so the credit and income stay with the creator.
- Capriola traces the idea to watching artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson and George Michael lose control of their work through the distribution contracts they signed.
- His biggest obstacle has been hiring engineers capable of writing the original algorithms the platform needs; he has since signed an NDA with a major AI hardware partner to train the models.
- He is candid that the economics are demanding, noting that training a large language model correctly is expensive and that clean, usable training data is expensive in its own right.
“My father left when I was two. He went on to own many small businesses which he just recently started cashing out. He inspired me all things about small businesses or local businesses. When I was 19 I started my first restaurant. I had worked at a chain for about two years prior and learned the end and out of every facet of restaurants. However, my brother showed me that you only have 24 hours in a day and to maximize this you should make a product and sell it globally. That’s when I figured I could use creativity and invent something of value. After inventing my first nine or so products I did well but one took off which really showed me the world and business on the fast track. I learned as I went. and one of the major things I learned about inventing a retail product is to have funding in place before it takes off or you will just be an investor predator.”
What was your learning style growing up? What did you learn in school and outside of school?
Delving into the learning experiences of his youth, Jon reflects on the importance of perseverance and adaptability, drawing lessons from his St. Louis upbringing and self-driven endeavors outside of formal education.
“My childhood was not fun. I grew up in St.Louis and despised the place. The school was not an environment that taught me anything but the basics and I learned more on my own but one thing it did instill inside me is the ability to not give up. And becoming a prodigy of your environment is dangerous if you’re in the wrong environment. I learned to survive outside of school with odd jobs. Those jobs taught me selling and service skills.”
What was your job or first venture? What did you learn from that experience, and how has it changed your perception of technology and entrepreneurship?
Recounting his early foray into the pizza industry, Jon shares valuable lessons learned from his first job, emphasizing the significance of hands-on learning, working smart, and the subsequent impact on his perception of technology and entrepreneurship.
“I lied to get a job at a pizza place that did super heavy volume and paid cash at the end of the night. I was handed a peel to pull pizzas out of the oven that had rotating decks. You had to take the pizza, learn what kind it was and place it into the right box. “
“This taught me a valuable lesson. one you learn by doing… I messed up many people’s pizzas that night however I didn’t burn any! and learning by doing is a fast way to learn but painful as mistakes will smack you repeatedly causing you to want to give up. I also learned that night I didn’t want to work so hard. I focussed on working smart. Which led me to self-help books.”
What important lessons have you learned from your previous successful inventions, and how have they influenced your approach to innovation?
Drawing from personal experiences, he highlights the significance of trust, team efforts, effective communication, and the importance of listening as crucial components of successful innovations and entrepreneurial endeavors.
“Trusting people is something you have to do and manipulation tactics are a very hard lesson coming from those you trust. I learned this like most people the hard way. I learned that money seems to change people and they tend to put it before morals. Good teams win championships and team efforts are the key to it all. Being cohesive with communication is key. Listening is probably the most important task of any job you take. With a team that is all on the same page you can make projects more fun where everyone shines. The 80-20 principle doesn’t always apply if you have the right team.”
What motivated you to establish AI Blockchain Ventures and focus specifically on leveraging open-source AI technology for 3D animation automation?
Inspired by witnessing artists and creatives being taken advantage of in the past, he shares the driving force behind AI Blockchain Ventures and the vision of empowering storytellers worldwide through AI-assisted 3D animation capabilities.
“Growing up in the 80’s I watched Prince, Michael Jackson, and George Michael get robbed from the contracts they signed. I think great artists just want to do the art and the people they must sign with to distribute their work take advantage of this a lot. Now imagine if I can allow anyone in the globe who wants to tell a story assisted by AI to not only tell the story but also share the story with friends or even sell the story via the blockchain. Any characters or their own characters. That would be adding value to society and allowing them to get the credit and the income from what they developed via my AI 3D animation platform.”
What are some of the main challenges you have faced in streamlining the 3D animation process, and how have you addressed them?
Highlighting the challenges encountered along the journey, Jon discusses the difficulties in finding skilled coders, partnering with hardware professionals, and the ongoing search for talent while striving to streamline the 3D animation process.
“The largest challenge I have faced is finding coders that can write original algorithms needed to make this all possible. One other huge step was finding a hardware partner for us to train our models. Since then we signed an NDA with one of the largest hardware professionals in the AI space and we have started a careers page on our website searching for the right talent to join our mission. LLM is expensive to train correctly and pure/clean data is expensive too!”
In what ways do you plan to scale your storytelling capabilities from short to long form, and what potential impact do you anticipate this having on the industry?
Perspective on scaling storytelling capabilities, potential industry impact.
“This would have a huge impact on the animation and creative industry as a whole. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book the tipping point he explains in detail how people adapt to something NEW. I think Openai has changed this somewhat because people gravitate to technology that excels in their abilities to create or make life easier with automation. My 3D animation platform would change or maybe even create new opportunities to offer Brand, SEO, and even tell others how they see things through their eyes. And like Steve Jobs was famously quoted long ago, the storyteller will rule the world. If any artist can upload their own 3D characters and tell a story with AI assistance it will revolutionize many industries leaving a dust trail in its path of opportunities.
What is your response to skeptics who argue that open-source AI technology may lead to a loss of creativity and originality in 3D animation?
Addressing concerns surrounding open-source AI technology, Jon counters skeptics and presents his perspective on how open-source collaboration can enhance creativity, reduce production time, and ultimately foster innovation in the animation industry.
“my response would be to show me serious examples of this. open-source is a driver of contributed efforts by masses of all talents. It is very hard to compete with this style of a community coming together and contributing to help build a meaningful change. I think personally in my humble opinion that the opposite would be true. The creativity would be greatly enhanced reducing the time it takes to tell a story and over time be perfected to play off human emotions once the AI model is trained and dialed in properly.”
“Logos are overrated and bragging it’s about having customers that are happy with your services/product. That’s true success!”
Jonathan Capriola
How do you plan to address the digital divide and ensure accessibility to your AI-powered platform for creators and artists from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their technological resources or expertise?
Discussing the importance of accessibility and inclusivity, he emphasizes the iterative nature of software development and the significance of listening to customers’ feedback to bridge gaps and address diversity issues.
“one step and day at a time. Listening is the best asset I have in my arsenal of assets therefore in software you release and learn by listening. You can read the book Hooked and get an example of this over and over again. It is best to listen to your customers and make quick adjustments to solve diversity issues and or limit mass chaos from digital divides.”
How do you ensure the security and privacy of user data within your AI Blockchain Ventures platform, especially considering the sensitive nature of intellectual property rights in the animation industry?
Exploring the security aspect, he explains how blockchain technology provides a secure and auditable platform for validating and protecting intellectual property rights while acknowledging the need to address potential issues regarding the use of copyrighted characters.
“This is a difficult answer. There are four primary types of blockchains. Blockchain can differ in some critical security aspects. depending on whether you have public, private, hybrid, or consortium if your wallet is compromised it just doesn’t matter. IP rights are what they are an argument until proven. I had a friend tell me a patent or IP is only as good as the money you have to defend it. This rings true however with blockchain a validation mechanism of an open ledger shows you made or created what, when, where, and how. it’s a solidified stamp that can display to anyone what happened allowing the artist that assisted the AI to produce what it produced. I believe again in my humble opinion it’s a far better way of tracking a particular data set. it’s easier to audit as well; however, what is to stop someone from using a copyrighted 3D character and telling a story with it is indeed an issue that would need to be addressed. We are living in different times.”
With the increasing popularity of AI-generated deep fakes, how do you ensure the responsible use of AI within your platform and protect against the spread of misinformation or malicious intent?
Addressing the concerns surrounding AI-generated deep fakes, Jon discusses the importance of implementing validation mechanisms in the platform’s output to combat potential misinformation or misuse.
“There would have to be mechanisms in the software upon output to the blockchain to deal with these issues. openai is currently trying extremely hard to combat this issue as well as many other companies. I believe a validation aspect needs to be in front of the output.”
How do you balance being a father, husband, and entrepreneur while maintaining a strong focus on personal growth?
Sharing personal insights, Jon reflects on the dynamics of balancing personal and professional aspects of life, emphasizing the integration of passion, family, and personal growth.
“You mix them all together and drink them daily like a delicious smoothie. Family dinner discussions are unique and we all listen to what makes us alive. It helps to have all the same interests. However, having family involved in your business is difficult if outcomes are expected and not attained. nevertheless “to each his own” most of the time :)”
Are there any particular books, podcasts, or other resources that have significantly contributed to your personal growth journey?
Exploring the realm of personal growth, Jon highlights the profound impact of various books and audiobooks, sharing his passion for continuous learning and the wisdom gained from diverse perspectives.
“so many… I love reading and escaping for a while. I find it amazing that humans put their true life experiences down for you to learn give or take 220 pages. Some of the books I have the amazing opportunity to read had a huge impact on my life. Denial of death, the Bitcoin standard, life 3.0, the internet of money, blink, the power of habit, mastery to name a few. I am currently the top 2% listener on audible and personally I absolutely love listening to audiobooks and learning from other people’s experience and gaining their knowledge in a quick download. truly gives you an edge in business. “
What is the key to finding fulfillment and balance in both personal and professional aspects of life?
Perspective on finding fulfillment and balance
“There is none. Love what you do and do what you love and integrate it into your personal life diligently”
How can people find out more about AI Blockchain Ventures and connect with you?
Closing the interview, Jon shares avenues for connecting with AI Blockchain Ventures, including the company’s website and the possibility of a future podcast.
“Right now we are not focused on social media which is greatly controlled. We are building amazing technology and the best place to find me is LinkedIn. AIBlockchainVentures.com has a blog and a website that is constantly being updated as we grow. We may do a podcast in the near future.”
Jon, we want to express our profound gratitude for the remarkable and enlightening journey you have shared with us at Web3news. The story you shared has had a profound and enduring effect, and we would be delighted to maintain a connection with you and stay informed about your upcoming ventures. Your achievements are a cause for celebration, and we eagerly anticipate learning about your future accomplishments.
Frequently asked questions
What problem is AI Blockchain Ventures trying to solve?
3D animation is slow and expensive, which keeps it out of reach for most independent storytellers. The company is automating enough of that pipeline with open-source AI that a single creator can produce animated stories without a studio behind them.
Where does the blockchain part come in?
The blockchain layer handles distribution and ownership: creators can share or sell their stories and characters directly, with authorship recorded on-chain. That is the mechanism intended to stop the value from being captured by intermediaries.
Does open-source AI reduce originality in animation?
Capriola's position is the opposite: the constraint on originality today is access to expensive tooling and skilled labour, not a shortage of ideas. He argues that lowering the production barrier lets more original stories get made rather than fewer.
