WorldCoin, the “personality proof” crypto project co-founded by Sam Altman that scans people's eyeballs, announced Thursday that it has dropped “coin” from its name and is now simply “World.” Tools for Humanity, the startup behind the World project, also unveiled its next-generation iris scanning “Orbs” and other tools at a live event in San Francisco.
Tools for Humanity co-founder and CEO Alex Branier said the project's old name “doesn't work anymore” and that the startup has expanded its identity beyond its original cryptocurrency mission. This suggests that they may be trying to expand. (Initially, eye scans were seen as a way to access World Coin, but founders say that never happened.)
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spent much of his time developing World, Branier told TechCrunch at a press conference, but noted that the two startups' missions are independent of each other. However, Branier did not rule out the possibility that World's cryptocurrency could someday be incorporated into ChatGPT.
“Well, he's a co-founder and has been since the beginning. So we talk several times a week. He's involved in every decision,” Branier told TechCrunch.
“Of course, he is focused on OpenAI,” Branier continued. “To what extent is World's success tied to OpenAI? I don't really think that's the case at all. I think these are two very different missions. I think AI is heading in that direction. And we think what we've built here is a very important infrastructure for the world, and that will continue to be the case.”
The World project is based on the idea that, with advanced AI systems like the ones Altman's OpenAI is building, it will one day be impossible to tell whether you are talking to a human online. The solution is a “human authentication service” based on blockchain. The startup also promises to make the benefits of AI available to everyone, potentially by redistributing the wealth generated by AI to people through WorldCoin.
If all of this sounds a little suspicious, you're not alone. Governments around the world, including Kenya and EU countries, have investigated and suspended WorldCoin for years, citing privacy, security and financial concerns. While the investigation in Kenya has concluded and World is able to continue operating, parts of the EU investigation remain ongoing and World's fate there remains uncertain.
Altman and Branier detailed their four-step global roadmap on stage Thursday. The first and second phases, the development of Orb and the creation of a blockchain decentralized ownership network, have already been completed, Branier said. The final step is to redistribute the benefits of AI, but before we get there we need to complete the third step: scaling. World made several announcements on Thursday, including the launch of a new blockchain and new apps, but they all revolve around scaling up the company's 7 million verified humans to something even larger. I was doing it.
To do so, the world team will need to scan more eyes around the world. And to that end, Tools for Humanity announced the next generation of orbs on Thursday. The startup promised that everyone attending the live event (including TechCrunch) would receive an orb to take home, but it wasn't immediately clear how individuals would use it.
The new orb is easier to mass produce, has fewer parts, and operates three times faster. Tools for Humanity says it will soon be able to perform identity verification in coffee shops and also announced a partnership with Rappi, Latin America's No. 1 delivery service, to help people schedule Orb verification from home. .
Also on Thursday, Tools for Humanity announced Deep Face, an effort to use the company's human authentication services to combat online deepfakes and impersonation. The company said Deep Face could be used to enhance apps like FaceTime, Zoom, and X, but didn't provide details on how that would be accomplished.
The startup has announced a beta version of its World ID credentials, an alternative to government IDs for use online. Executives made it clear at a press conference that it won't replace national IDs, but it could allow people to verify their identity online without divulging extra, irrelevant information, like when uploading a driver's license or passport. He said that there is a sex.
Implementation can be an obstacle to progressing the World project. At the event, Tools for Humanity asked guests to verify their identity by presenting a government-issued ID. Having a cryptocurrency company trust their identity is a great wish for most people, but especially one led by Sam Altman, who has been accused of lying to OpenAI's board of directors.
Correction: Tools for Humanity is the startup behind the World project. A previous version of this article did not clarify that World itself is not a startup.
