Sam Altman’s World Rebrands and Reveals New Iris-Scanning Technology

Worldcoin, the crypto project co-founded by Sam Altman, announced a major rebrand on Thursday, dropping the "coin" from its name to become simply “World.” The project, which aims to provide “proof of personhood” through eye-scanning technology, revealed its next-generation iris-scanning devices—called “Orbs”—at a live event in San Francisco.

Tools for Humanity Leads the Rebrand

The company behind the World project, Tools for Humanity, spearheaded the rebrand. Co-founder and CEO Alex Blania explained that the old name no longer aligns with the project's broader vision, hinting at plans to move beyond its initial cryptocurrency focus. While the Worldcoin concept originally centered around gaining access to cryptocurrency through eye-scanning, the founders stated this never fully materialized.

Sam Altman’s Role and World’s Independence from OpenAI

Despite his primary focus on OpenAI, Sam Altman continues to play an active role in World. Blania mentioned that Altman is involved in decision-making and spends a significant amount of time working on World. However, he emphasized that World and OpenAI have separate missions, with no direct ties between their successes.

Blania added that, although World’s cryptocurrency could eventually be integrated into AI products like ChatGPT, this remains speculative for now.

Addressing AI’s Impact and the Need for Human Verification

World’s mission is driven by the belief that advanced AI systems will make it increasingly difficult to verify whether individuals are human online. To combat this, World is developing blockchain-based “human verification services.” The project aims to ensure that the benefits of AI, such as wealth generated by these systems, are accessible to all by redistributing value through its cryptocurrency.

However, World’s ambitious plans have faced global scrutiny. Governments, including Kenya and several EU nations, have launched investigations into Worldcoin’s privacy and security practices. While Kenya has concluded its investigation, allowing World to resume operations, some EU inquiries are still ongoing.

World’s Roadmap and Scaling Plans

During Thursday’s event, Blania shared World’s four-step roadmap, outlining the project's progress and future goals. The first two steps—developing the Orb and building a distributed blockchain ownership network—are complete. The final step, redistributing AI’s benefits, depends on completing the third step: scaling.

World announced several initiatives aimed at scaling its verified user base from 7 million to a much larger number. To achieve this, Tools for Humanity unveiled its new, faster, and easier-to-produce Orb. The company is also partnering with Latin American delivery giant Rappi, allowing users to schedule home verifications.

Introducing Deep Face and World ID

Additionally, Tools for Humanity introduced "Deep Face," a technology designed to counter online deepfakes and impersonation through human verification services. The company suggested that this technology could be used to enhance apps like FaceTime, Zoom, and X, but did not provide specific details on how it will be implemented.

The startup also launched a beta version of “World ID,” an online credential that offers an alternative to traditional government-issued IDs, however it's not mean to replace national IDs. World ID would allow users to verify their identities online without sharing unnecessary personal details, such as those found on a driver’s license or passport.

The company also revealed that its software can be integrated into most apps where video can be uploaded or streamed, allowing the verification of whether videos featuring registered users are authentic or generated using AI. Additionally, the company announced that 15 million users have already signed up for its World app service.

Trust Issues and Obstacles Ahead

Despite the announcements, adoption of the World project remains uncertain. At the event, Tools for Humanity asked attendees to verify their identity using government-issued IDs—a process that some might find ironic, given the project’s goal to reduce reliance on traditional identification methods. Trusting a cryptocurrency company with personal data is a significant hurdle, particularly for a project involving Sam Altman, who has faced scrutiny for his leadership at OpenAI.

What This Means

World’s rebrand and unveiling of new tools signal its shift from a cryptocurrency project to a broader effort focused on human verification and online security. While the technology holds promise for combating impersonation and deepfakes, concerns about privacy and trust will be key challenges as the project scales. World’s success will depend on its ability to address these concerns while proving the value of its technology in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.