Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Crypto Project Debuts in the U.S.

In the US, Sam Altman’s goal of building a worldwide identity network supported by biometrics and blockchain technology was realized.

The initiative, which is now just called “World,” debuted its US rollout in six locations, according to the business, and gave interested users the opportunity to scan their irises in exchange for cryptocurrency tokens and a digital identity.

“The US is leading the way in the development of artificial intelligence.” Proof of human is the necessary counterpart that the world’s AI center should now accept, the business stated.

US Launch Aims for Innovation Centers

Retail stores equipped with “Orbs,” the chrome spherical devices that record facial and iris data, are supposedly open to residents of Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco.

Users are given a unique “IrisCode” and a free allocation of the project’s WLD cryptocurrency following a 30-second scan. The process links users to a decentralized identity management system that can integrate with online services such as Shopify, Reddit, and Discord.

The world intends to rapidly expand. By the end of 2025, the company plans to have 7,500 Orbs in the US, covering around 180 million Americans, or more than half of the population, according to Coindesk.

World announced collaborations in a San Francisco event that hint to goals beyond cryptocurrency. Visa will provide users who have been confirmed by iris scans with a world-branded debit card. According to reports, Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, will test World ID for age verification in Japan. This could allay growing concerns about online safety and fake profiles.

Nvidia’s Jetson CPUs power the newest Orb gadgets. Additionally, World intends to set up an assembly line in Richardson, Texas, to produce Orbs.

“Proof of Human” in an AI Era

Despite its expansive goals, World’s handling of biometric data has drawn criticism. To stop manipulation and duplicate registrations, the system keeps some data. To prevent central points of failure, its developers stress that the data is divided among organizations and encrypted.

Regulators of privacy are still wary. The collection of data was previously ordered to stop by Hong Kong, while other regions continue to have issues with biometric storage.

One billion users were to be enrolled by 2023, according to the original plan. There are currently 26 million members of the network worldwide, of whom 12 million have been verified.