Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, has officially launched his new digital identity and cryptocurrency project, called “World,” in the US. This project aims to verify human identity through iris scanning. Users who agree to scan their eyes receive 16 World digital coins as a reward, worth about $40. The project has initially launched in six US cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Austin, and Nashville. In San Francisco, a store dedicated to this initiative has opened, where citizens can scan their irises to obtain a “World ID.”
The goal of the project is to create a global digital identity that can be used for age verification on apps like Tinder, for payments with the “World Visa” card in collaboration with Visa, and to combat the spread of fake accounts on the internet.
However, the project has faced criticism over privacy and security concerns over biometric data. Experts such as Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, have expressed concerns about the risks of centralization and the potential for misuse of biometric data. In some countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Hong Kong, authorities have suspended Worldcoin’s operations due to concerns over data protection. Despite these challenges, the company behind the project, Tools for Humanity, claims that biometric data is not stored in image form and that advanced technologies are used to protect users’ privacy.
With over 26 million users globally, the “World” project raises important questions about the balance between technological innovation and the protection of personal rights. Is this a step towards a fairer digital future, or a risk to our privacy? Time will tell.
