# About AO {% hint style="info" %} **AO is currently in Testnet!** This means that things are subject to change. Testnet went live on February 27, 2024. {% endhint %} AO is a hyper-parallel supercomputer built on Arweave's decentralized storage network. It features a modular architecture that scales with an unlimited number of parallel processes, each maintaining its own local state. This process design enables AO to deliver the speed and scalability of traditional computing environments with the trust guarantees of blockchain technology. AO was developed by Arweave's core team to address the scalability limitations of existing blockchain networks and to introduce a radically new development environment designed for the next generation of apps. {% hint style="success" %} **Currently Minting** The AO team has launched an AO network token with 100% fair issuance, following Bitcoin's economic model. The AO token will be used to secure message passing within the network. For more information, including how to mint the AO token, visit [here. ](https://mirror.xyz/0x1EE4bE8670E8Bd7E9E2E366F530467030BE4C840/-UWra0q0KWecSpgg2-c37dbZ0lnOMEScEEkabVm9qaQ) {% endhint %} {% embed url="" %} Introduction video from the founder of AO, [@samecwilliams](https://x.com/samecwilliams) {% endembed %} ### Why Build on AO? AO offers a flexible development architecture compatible with various deterministic computing systems, including EVM, SVM, and WASM. Additionally, AO's state-independent processes support an incredibly scalable execution environment capable of high-throughput, low-latency transactions. These design features enable developers to build fully onchain applications without the limitations associated with legacy blockchain network architecture. At Autonomous Finance, we are committed to empowering builders to push the boundaries of DeFi innovation on AO’s exceptionally open and limitless decentralized computer. {% hint style="success" %} To start building on AO, please visit the [AO cookbook. ](https://cookbook_ao.g8way.io/welcome/getting-started.html) [ \ https://ao-create-dapp.dev/ \ https://create-ao-dapp.arweave.dev/
](< https://ao-create-dapp.dev/ https://create-ao-dapp.arweave.dev/ >) {% endhint %} ### AI on AO AO’s unbounded compute and storage capabilities enable the network to handle large-scale computations. This allows full-scale LLMs, such as Meta's Llama 3, to operate directly within AO's decentralized environment and perform inference entirely onchain as part of smart contract execution. Embedding AI models on AO represents a significant breakthrough in Web3-AI integration, positioning AO as the leading base layer for autonomous agent financial services. {% embed url="" %} AI on AO presentation {% endembed %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.autonomous.finance/general/about-ao.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.