Sam Altman Wants His Orb to See You

Worldcoin, a project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, aims to create a global digital identity system using iris scanning via a device called the Orb. Motivated by the potential for advanced AI to make it difficult to distinguish humans from bots online, Worldcoin provides users with a unique iris code and cryptocurrency in exchange for verification.

The project envisions its system as a fundamental layer for the future internet, enabling a proof-of-humanity network and potentially facilitating universal basic income, although privacy concerns regarding the retention of user data after apparent deletion remain a point of contention.

The article also touches on the project's ambitious goals and the challenges it faces in achieving widespread adoption and regulatory acceptance.