World, the biometric authentication project co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is set to launch in the United Kingdom on Sunday. The project utilizes the Orb device, which scans users’ eyes, and will expand to major cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow, starting from London this week.
World aims to authenticate human identities to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. When the Orb device scans a user’s face and iris to generate a unique code, users receive World’s cryptocurrency, WLD. This allows them to verify their identities anonymously across various platforms such as Minecraft, Reddit, and Discord.
CNBC reported that the World is targeting fraud prevention measures using AI. Adrian Ludwig, chief architect at Tools for Humanity, World’s primary developer, emphasized that World is no longer just a concept, but rather evolving from a scientific project into a real-world network. World has recently expanded into major U.S. cities and plans to increase its identity verification capacity tenfold.
However, privacy concerns persist. While World claims to encrypt biometric data and delete original records, conducting identity verification on users’ smartphones rather than a central server raises scalability issues. World has currently secured 13 million verified users and aims to expand globally. Ludwig stated that traditional identity verification methods are struggling to keep pace with AI technology, asserting that Worldcoin will emerge as a viable alternative to existing digital identity systems.
CNBC also reported on India’s Aadhaar digital identity system, which has faced security issues and controversies related to social inequality. World is collaborating with regulatory bodies, including the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), to address privacy concerns. Ludwig noted that governments are showing interest in digital identity systems.