Sam Altman, who leads OpenAI and designed ChatGPT, is involved in an initiative aimed at addressing a contemporary issue: verifying one’s humanity in an era dominated by bots and artificial intelligence.
The startup, called World (formerly Worldcoin), is launching in the U.S. with the distribution of 20,000 tech devices called Orbs that scan a person's retina to verify they are human. After confirming a person's humanity, World then creates a digital ID for users that proves their personhood, distinguishing them from a bot or AI program that can mimic human behavior.
The gadget, reminiscent of an item from "Black Mirror," might appear somewhat paradoxical when considering Altman’s involvement, since its aim is to enable individuals to distinguish themselves from technologies he has contributed to developing. However, supporters of World argue that the Orb and its “proof of personhood” concept tackle an issue that hinders various sectors including finance and online dating: fake accounts mimicking real people.
"The Orb offers a method for verifying your humanity in an era increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and automated systems, emphasizing user privacy," explained Jake Brukhman, co-founder of CoinFund, which was among the first supporters of this initiative. "This relevance grows as AI becomes more widespread globally," he added.
The U.S. launch comes after its international introduction.
World isn't exactly new, as it debuted outside the U.S. in 2023 and has already sparked privacy backlash, with Kenya's government shutting down the service, according with the Associated Press. Other regions subsequently did the same. including Hong Kong and Spain .
"I will say that upon the launch in 2023 there was a lot of noise about this," Brukhman said. "But a lot of noise came from the lack of understanding about the Orb and how it works."
The Orb doesn't store any biometric data, he added. The device takes photos to ensure a person is human, but then stores that info on the user's device, not in the Orb, according to World's website.
World also has a link to cryptocurrencies, as the Orb's human-verification process is designed to be used in the World App, which is a digital wallet that gives people access to decentralized finance and cryptocurrencies.
The time is right for a rollout in the U.S., Brukhman said, with expectations of looser crypto regulations under Trump administration. President Trump, who has vowed to turn the U.S. into the cryptocurrency capital of the world , is working on a " crypto strategic reserve " for the nation.
The Orbs will be rolled out in stores in six U.S. cities, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami and San Francisco, as well as at gaming retailer Razer, with the idea that people can go to physical locations to get themselves verified as human.
"It takes a founder of the brand and acumen of a Sam Altman to really do digital identity," Brukhman said. The U.S. rollout "will massively bolster the adoption of registered users on the network."
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