← The Confab
Closed AI Is the New Censorship | The Confab 27: Marks
The Confab

Closed AI Is the New Censorship | The Confab 27: Marks

January 26, 2026 · 01:02:14 · Max BBB, Marks
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INTRO
BOOSTS
THANK YOU CAKE WALLET
THANK YOU FOUNDATION
THANK YOU MYNYMBOX
Welcome Back Marks
Bitcoin Meetups and Legal Risk
Life at Apple
Mutiny Plants the Maple Seed
Who's The User?
Closed AI is the New Censorship
Jarvis Dreams
NIMBY AI
What About My Wearables?
Verifiable Systems
The Free Thought Manifesto

Chapters

Show Notes

In this Confab, Max sits down with Marks from Maple AI for a candid dive into privacy-first AI and how it intersects with the Bitcoin and Monero worlds many of us live in. They explore his journey from Apple’s AI/ML and product-launch trenches to Mutiny Wallet and now Maple, a secure, confidential-computing alternative to mainstream AI assistants. Marks shares how lawyers, accountants, therapists, and privacy-conscious users are adopting Maple to protect client data while still getting powerful AI assistance, and we unpack why closed AIs can shape narratives through hidden prompts, profiling, and subtle persuasion—especially in future crisis scenarios.

Max and Marks also look ahead: open-source and local AI, encrypted enclaves, and the path to personal “Jarvis” agents with strong memory and on-device sovereignty. From live translation and wearables to body-language detection, they consider the benefits and risks—and how cryptographic identity, consent-based data sharing, and verifiable systems could keep humans in control. Marks points listeners to his essay “The Free Thought Manifesto” at https://aiwithconfidence.org for a deeper read on censorship risks and the importance of verifiable AI.

Try Maple: trymaple.ai

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FOUNDATION

https://foundation.xyz/ungovernable

Foundation builds Bitcoin-centric tools that empower you to reclaim your digital sovereignty.

As a sovereign computing company, Foundation is the antithesis of today’s tech conglomerates. Returning to cypherpunk principles, they build open source technology that “can’t be evil”.

Thank you Foundation Devices for sponsoring the show!

Use code: Ungovernable for $10 off of your purchase


CAKE WALLET

https://cakewallet.com

Cake Wallet is an open-source, non-custodial wallet available on Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux.

Features:
- Built-in Exchange: Swap easily between Bitcoin and Monero.
- User-Friendly: Simple interface for all users.

Monero Users:
- Batch Transactions: Send multiple payments at once.
- Faster Syncing: Optimized syncing via specified restore heights
- Proxy Support: Enhance privacy with proxy node options.

Bitcoin Users:
- Coin Control: Manage your transactions effectively.
- Silent Payments: Static bitcoin addresses
- Batch Transactions: Streamline your payment process.

Thank you Cake Wallet for sponsoring the show!


MYNYMBOX

https://mynymbox.io

Your go-to for anonymous server hosting solutions, featuring: virtual private & dedicated servers, domain registration and DNS parking. We don't require any of your personal information, and you can purchase using Bitcoin, Lightning, Monero and many other cryptos.

Explore benefits such as No KYC, complete privacy & security, and human support.


(00:00:00) INTRO

(00:01:23) BOOSTS

(00:03:30) THANK YOU CAKE WALLET

(00:04:17) THANK YOU FOUNDATION

(00:05:04) THANK YOU MYNYMBOX

(00:06:01) Welcome Back Marks

(00:10:25) Bitcoin Meetups and Legal Risk

(00:15:25) Life at Apple

(00:23:38) Mutiny Plants the Maple Seed

(00:27:30) Who's The User?

(00:33:17) Closed AI is the New Censorship

(00:40:52) Jarvis Dreams

(00:46:17) NIMBY AI

(00:52:48) What About My Wearables?

(00:55:10) Verifiable Systems

(01:00:26) The Free Thought Manifesto