Sam Altman, CEO of Openai and architect at Chatgpt, is behind an adventure that wants to solve modern problems: proving you are human in the proliferation of robots and artificial intelligence.
The startup, called the World (formerly World Coin), is launching 20,000 technology devices called Orb in the United States that scan a person's retina to verify that they are human. After confirming a person’s humanity, the world creates a digital ID for users to prove their personality, distinguishing them from robots or AI programs that can mimic human behavior.
The device looks like something in the "Black Mirror" and it seems ironically that Altman's purpose is to help people stand out from the same type of technology he helped develop. But world proponents say "Ball" and its "proof of personality" are solving a problem that could hinder everything from finance to online dating: bot stylists.
"Orb is a way to prove that you are humans in the world of humans and robots," said Jake Brukhman, co-founder of Coinfund, one of the project's earliest supporters. “As artificial intelligence becomes more common in the world, it becomes more common.”
The world is nothing new, as it debuted outside the U.S. in 2023 and has sparked strong privacy backlash, with the Kenyan government shutting down the service. Other jurisdictions followed suit, including Hong Kong and Spain.
“I’m going to say that when it’s released in 2023, there’s a lot of noise,” Brookman said. “But a lot of noise comes from a lack of understanding of the sphere and how it works.”
He added that the ball does not store any biometric data. According to the World Website, the device takes photos to ensure that a person is human, but then stores that information on the user's device, not on the ORB.
World is also associated with cryptocurrencies, as Orb's human verification process is designed for use in world applications, a digital wallet that gives people access to decentralized finance and cryptocurrencies.
Brookman said the expectation for loose crypto regulations stipulated by the Trump administration was the time to be introduced in the United States. President Trump vows to turn America into Cryptocurrency Capital in the Worldunder researchCrypto Strategic Reserve“For the country.
The spheres will be launched in stores in six U.S. cities, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami and San Francisco, as well as Razer, a gaming retailer, and get their own verification with physical locations people can go to.
"It requires the founders of Sam Altman's brand and acumen to truly have a digital identity," Brookman said. The launch of the United States "will greatly enhance the adoption of registered users on the network."