Don Tapscott's next book: AI agents could free us – or trap us

AI-driven personal agents are becoming a reality—but who owns your digital self?

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is seamlessly integrating into daily life, a new digital frontier is emerging—one where personal AI agents (autonomous systems that act based on data) act as intelligent extensions of ourselves. These agents are designed to assist, analyze, and even make decisions on our behalf. But as this technology advances, it brings a pressing question: who truly owns your digital self?

For decades, tech companies have controlled digital identities, harvesting data and shaping online experiences. Now, AI is no longer just about chatbots and virtual assistants. It’s evolving into “Identic AI”—personalized, autonomous agents capable of managing everything from finances to health, learning, and even relationships.

Blockchain expert and author Don Tapscott sees this shift as both revolutionary and risky. Speaking on The Crypto Radio, he introduced Identic AI, a new concept that challenges the status quo of data ownership and personal autonomy.

“These agents will be our personal consigliere, our private doctor, our cultural curator, our life planner, financial mentor, our librarian, our counselor,” Tapscott explained, saying, “If we do this right, these digital sidekicks are going to help us navigate and build a more fulfilling life. If we do it wrong, it's going to be terrifying.”

An extension of one’s self

Traditionally, AI has functioned as an external tool—think chatbots, search engines, or recommendation algorithms. But Tapscott argues that AI agents are becoming active participants in our lives rather than just passive assistants.

As an example, Tapscott explained how a rational AI agent can remember everything, providing recommendations based on historic data. “So this is like it's the digital you. It's your identity becoming digital and smart,” he told The Crypto Radio, even explaining how it could change the world of dating.

“What does it mean if you're dating? Rather than swiping through an app or something, a digital agent will go out and have a hundred dates with a bunch of other digital agents and come out, come back with a real strong recommendation for lunch.”

But while AI-driven personal agents promise convenience, they also raise critical issues of ownership and control. If corporations or governments dictate how these agents operate, users could lose control over their own data, decisions, and ultimately, their identities.

“So there's a real dark side here… You go and work for a company and bring along the digital you,” Tapscott warned, speaking to the types of AI agents. “Who are they hiring? Well, they’re hiring you, but they also will probably want to look at your agent… And then five years later, you leave the company. What comes with you?”

The ownership dilemma is already taking shape, with companies viewing AI agents as corporate assets rather than personal extensions. “Well, there are big technology companies that we interviewed that said, no, this is like email. Email doesn’t leave. It’s a corporate resource,” he explained.

Tapscott’s book, co-authored with Joseph Bradley, You to the Power of Two, is all about the digital self and redefining human potential in the age of Identic AI.

AI and blockchain, love and marriage

Tapscott believes blockchain technology is essential to ensuring AI autonomy remains in the hands of individuals.

“Should big tech own your digital self? Should the government own it?” he asked. “You should be self-sovereign, that you should own it and you should control it… How possibly could could you own such a thing? Well, enter blockchain.”

Blockchain provides the foundation for self-sovereign AI, allowing users to manage their digital identities securely. Through decentralized networks, Identic AI can function without dependence on centralized entities, ensuring privacy, data ownership, and transparency.

“We need to rethink the whole AI stack. And the AI stack has a number of levels,” Tapscott said, explaining that it involved massive hardware server farms that had to be decentralized.

This vision leverages smart contracts, tokenized incentives, and Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN)—blockchain-powered systems that build and operate real-world infrastructure through decentralized coordination—to create AI systems owned and governed by users rather than corporations.

Tapscott compares the relationship between AI and blockchain to “love and marriage”—two technologies that must evolve together.

However, integrating these technologies presents challenges. Blockchain networks must scale to support AI workloads, while AI systems must be designed to operate within decentralized frameworks.

A call to secure the future

AI-driven personal agents are no longer science fiction—they are already emerging through tools like Microsoft Copilot and AI-powered health monitors. The question now is how we shape this future.

“You can’t just let the future happen to you,” Tapscott warned. “You have to control it and shape it. You have to know enough. You have to understand it.”

As Identic AI becomes a reality, blockchain may be the only safeguard ensuring that the digital self remains self-sovereign—belonging to the individual, not the system.


Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in the Chain Breakers podcast.