Sam Altman's venture into cryptocurrency takes a new turn as Worldcoin, the project he co-founded, rebrands itself to simply "World." The San Francisco-based company Tools for Humanity unveiled the next iteration of its iris-scanning technology, known as the "Orb," at a recent live event. The device is a cornerstone of the World's aim to prove personhood as the digital age makes discerning humans from AI increasingly challenging. According to TechCrunch, Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, indicated that the firm's legacy name no longer represented its broadened vision beyond cryptocurrency.
The ambitious goal of this project is to scale up from the existing 7 million verified humans to a much broader audience. The new Orb is designed for mass production and operates at triple the speed of its predecessor, as detailed by Blania. A partnership with Rappi, the leading delivery service in Latin America, is set to facilitate in-home Orb verifications. According to Reuters, purpose-built retail locations are also part of the plan, making it easier for individuals to obtain their World ID, a digital passport.
Despite technological advancements and a vision for proof of personhood infrastructure, the World has encountered skepticism and regulatory pushback. Privacy and security concerns have led to investigations in Kenya and within various EU countries. Though the probe in Kenya was concluded, allowing operations to continue, the outcome of pending EU investigations remains to be seen. It poses uncertainties for the World’s expansion plans, as per TechCrunch.
Responding to concerns over privacy, Tools for Humanity also introduced Deep Face, which aims to address the curse of online deepfakes and deceptive identities. This new feature is expected to complement video calling apps, enhancing the legitimacy of virtual interactions. In addition, the company introduced a beta of its World ID credential, positioning it as a supplemental form of online identity verification that discloses less information than traditional government-issued IDs. Amidst growing adoption barriers, it's notable that guests at World’s event were asked to present a government-issued ID. This practice seems at odds with the company’s vision of an alternative digital identity system.
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