World: A New Approach to Proving You’re Human Online – But Would You Trust It?
On a recent evening near the Golden Gate Bridge, about 1,000 tech experts, journalists, and other big names gathered for an exciting announcement. Sam Altman and Alex Blania, founders of Tools for Humanity, unveiled their new project, World, with California Governor Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie in the audience. The launch is set for May 1 in the U.S., and it’s already creating a stir.
But what exactly is World? Simply put, it’s a new “human-first identity and financial network” designed to address the growing challenge of identifying real people online. With AI, bots, and fake accounts flooding the internet, how can you tell if the person you’re interacting with is actually human?
The Idea Behind World
Altman, who is also the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has been mulling over this idea with Blania for about five years. The concept started as an ambitious one and has evolved into something more feasible: a way to prove you’re human using a technology called digital proof of humanhood.
In essence, World is trying to solve the problem of bots and fake accounts that dominate many online platforms. The project ties into cryptocurrency, specifically Worldcoin (WLD), and includes an app that could eventually become an “everything app” similar to WeChat in China or Elon Musk’s vision for Twitter (now X).
To get started, users will need to visit special stores in cities like Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, where they’ll get their irises scanned by a device called the Orb. This high-tech spherical camera takes extremely precise photos of your irises, and the data is stored securely on your phone before being deleted, similar to how Apple’s Face ID works.
Privacy Concerns and Trust Issues
But here’s the catch: you have to give up some personal information in the process. In exchange for your iris scan, new users get Worldcoin, currently valued at around $25. And while the idea of getting a bit of crypto for a quick scan might sound tempting, it raises serious privacy concerns.
The company has already faced criticism and regulatory challenges in various countries, including Hong Kong, South Korea, and Brazil, for not meeting local privacy standards. Given the history of companies mishandling sensitive data, it’s no surprise that people are hesitant to hand over biometric information. After all, companies like 23andMe, which collected DNA data from millions, are now facing financial struggles, and there’s always the worry that this type of data could end up in the wrong hands.
In response to privacy concerns, Blania assured users that the company is working closely with regulators worldwide. He emphasized that the Orb doesn’t store biometric data; instead, it’s transferred to your phone and deleted afterward. The data is anonymized and split across multiple databases to make it useless if any one database is compromised. Plus, when you use your World ID to verify you’re human—say, on a dating app—the app gets a confirmation but doesn’t access your personal data. It’s like showing your ID to a bouncer without revealing your birthdate.
What’s in It for Users?
So, why would people sign up for World and allow their irises to be scanned? Besides the $25 in Worldcoin, the project envisions using World IDs for everything from online banking and voting verification to gaming and dating sites. So far, the company has partnered with businesses like Razer for gaming verification and Match Group (the owner of Tinder) in Japan for dating app verification. They’ve also teamed up with Visa and Stripe for financial transactions within the World app.
However, the big question remains: how will Tools for Humanity make money from this? Blania explained that their focus right now is on building the network, similar to how PayPal initially worked. In the future, the company plans to charge apps and services that use World IDs for verification, as well as take transaction fees from financial services within the World app. With $200 million in funding from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, the company is in a good position to grow its user base.
How Many People Are Willing to Try It?
So far, around 12 million people have been verified in the World network, with 26 million more who’ve set up accounts but haven’t completed the iris scan. But as social media platforms continue to struggle with fake accounts and bots, it’s unclear how much demand there is for this type of verification.
Despite the impressive technology behind the Orb, many people are still hesitant to embrace it. The idea of biometric data, even for something as simple as proving you’re human online, is a hard sell for many. Personally, while the idea of $25 in crypto for a quick scan is appealing, I’m not sure I could bring myself to try it.
The Future of World
The future of World and its biometric verification system is still uncertain, but it represents a bold experiment in proving human identity online. With AI tools becoming more integrated into our daily digital lives, this project could play a significant role in shaping how we prove who we are on the internet. But as always, it’s important to consider the potential risks before jumping into a new technology—especially when it involves your personal data.
For now, Tools for Humanity is pushing ahead, but how many people will trust them with their irises remains to be seen.
