Sam Altman's World comes to the US: eye scans to generate digital identities
At the centre is a technology that scans the iris to generate unique IDs linked to a crypto token. Amid controversy over privacy and security, the goal is to produce 10,000 devices for the US market alone
2' min read
2' min read
The controversial World digital identity project, founded by Sam Altman and already operating in dozens of countries, has officially made its entry into the United States. At the heart of the system is a technology that uses iris scanning to generate a unique identity, which is required to access the token cryptography associated with the platform. After an initial overseas launch in 2023, held back by the Biden administration's stricter attitude towards cryptocurrencies, Altman is now aiming to make the US the main market, also thanks to the support of the new Trump administration, which has declared itself openly pro-crypto.
Presenting the initiative in San Francisco, Altman - who also leads OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT - reiterated his commitment to Made in the USA innovation: "America must lead change, not hinder it". According to the team behind the project, World is designed to keep the human being at the centre in a world like the internet increasingly populated by artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content.
The Tools for Humanity startup, founded by Altman and Alex Blania in 2019, has already raised around $200 million from investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures and Reid Hoffman. Initial backers also include Sam Bankman-Fried, the former founder of FTX who was later sentenced to 25 years for fraud.
At the heart of the system are orb, basketball-sized spheres that scan the iris to assign a unique digital identity. Over the next twelve months, the company aims to produce up to 10,000 of these for the US market alone, a fivefold increase in current supply. A new factory in Texas will serve to accommodate this expansion. Pocket models and systems that can be integrated into webcams or smartphones are also being developed.
The increasing popularity of AI models capable of imitating people has made solutions to distinguish humans from algorithms more urgent, also to combat online scams and fraud. In this context, World has just announced a partnership with Match Group (Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid) to verify the identity of users on dating platforms. According to Adrian Ludwig, chief architect of Tools for Humanity, the system could also extend to public services, social networks and government applications.
