The Big Picture · A personal vision by Mack Vargas
A future we choose. Technology we control.
I believe humans and AI can coexist in a way that strengthens human freedom, creativity, and connection. But getting there means questioning how this technology was introduced—and rebuilding the relationship around consent.
Why I’m building Orbit
Progress should not come at people’s expense.
I believe the dominant approach to AI has been unethical. In my view, taking artists’ work without meaningful permission, using it to build systems that compete with them, and leaving them little say in the outcome is exploitation. I see that as stealing from artists, and I believe the harm is ongoing.
Too many people have had to respond to a technological transformation they never meaningfully agreed to. I believe that was wrong. Recognizing the benefits of technology does not mean accepting the way it has been introduced into our lives.
My response is to build toward a different foundation: consent before use, respect for creative ownership, and real control for the people affected.
The world I’m working toward
Power in people’s hands.
My dream is a world where AI serves individuals and communities, rather than making them dependent on a handful of companies. Ordinary people should be able to decide what their technology does, who it works for, and when it stops.
Decentralized AI is part of that vision: trusted networks using devices we already own, with permission and control staying close to the person. Sharing a capability should be a choice—not a condition of participating in modern life.
Decentralization alone does not make a system ethical or secure. It must be paired with meaningful consent, accountable design, respect for artists, and the ability to question, correct, or leave a system.
Starting with my own work
I bring the creativity. Orbit helps me act on it.
I supply the ideas, creativity, and direction. I create the workflows. Orbit’s role is to operate my computer and help carry out my instructions, so I can work hands-free while remaining involved in the decisions.
The purpose is to make more room for the work and the people who matter: creating, collaborating, touring, and staying connected to real human life. Technology should support that life, not become its center.
A direction, not a declaration of perfection
Build the alternative. Keep it accountable.
Orbit is one independent project working toward this vision. It is not a completed decentralized AI network, and using personally owned devices does not settle questions about the origins of underlying third-party models.
My ambition is to help rebuild this relationship from the ground up, while being honest about what still needs work. The principles have to show up in the choices we make—not just in the language we use.