Staff AI Engineer leaves Google to launch Web3 content distribution protocol
BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, FORMLESS, Inc. announced that Brandon Tory, has resigned his position as a technical lead on the Natural Language Accelerated team at Google AI, and is now operating in a full-time capacity as FORMLESS Founder and CEO. Tory and the team at FORMLESS are launching a decentralized distribution protocol and platform that changes how digital content, like music, is owned, distributed, and monetized.
Tory, who is also a signed artist, was inspired to make the transition after years of first-hand experience at the intersection of the tech and music industries.
According to Tory, “The problem with the relationship between technology and music is that technology vendors have always established the terms of access to a song. Along every step in the progression, this model has crushed creators––eliminating any control over pricing, and the ability to directly connect with consumers.”
The solution Tory invented is a paradigm called “access inversion,” because the requirements to access the content, including the cost, are established by the creator, not the platform. Tory’s team is building the associated protocol and application, called SHARE, based on access inversion that eliminates the dependence on centralized streaming platforms altogether. Instead, by leveraging smart contracts, each piece of content encapsulates its own implementation of its access policy, independent of the application used to experience it.
“We’re introducing a technology advancement that disrupts distribution by redefining digital content, not as static information, but as a dynamic, self-contained machine. By expanding the definition, and reimagining distribution using peer-to-peer, pay-for-access micro-transactions on blockchain, any streaming platform can instantly authenticate for access to a piece of digital content, execute an instant micropayment based on creator specified terms, and stream the experience to consumers,” Tory explains.
The SHARE protocol and beta application are expected to be generally available in Q2 of this year. Organizations and artists are encouraged to request early access.
Read the SHARE Whitepaper and request early access here.
About FORMLESS, Inc.
FORMLESS is a Boston, Massachusetts headquartered music technology company with the mission of creating virtual and physical experiences that enable people to live more fulfilling lives. FORMLESS was founded in 2018 by Brandon Tory, a signed artist, former Staff Engineer at Google AI, and former Senior Engineer at Apple. Tory’s story of pursuing his dreams as a musician and engineer in parallel is featured in national media that include: Forbes, CNN Great Big Story, CNBC, and Yahoo Finance.
For inquiries contact jason@formless.xyz
SOURCE FORMLESS, Inc.
