data economy

The data economy refers to the practice of vendors utilizing user data to provide services, with users having the ability to control data usage by declining vendors. This concept is particularly relevant in China, where experts observe the evolution from a data economy to a computing economy, and now to a 'token economy' driven by the soaring use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI tokens, initially a technical metric, are becoming the foundation for delivering and pricing AI services. This shift signifies a new phase in the digital economy, where data is not just collected and used, but is also tokenized and commodified within AI-driven ecosystems. The current relevance lies in understanding how data is being transformed and valued in the age of advanced AI and how this impacts service delivery and economic models.