On Monday, the highly-anticipated cryptocurrency project Worldcoin will make its official debut. Founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, this innovative venture seeks to revolutionize the world of digital currencies by offering a unique and groundbreaking feature – the World ID. The brainchild of Tools for Humanity, a San Francisco and Berlin-based company, Worldcoin aims to provide a solution to the challenges posed by generative AI and contribute to reshaping the future economy.
At the core of Worldcoin lies its distinctive offering, the World ID – an account that only real humans can possess. In an era where online interactions with advanced AI systems have become increasingly prevalent, distinguishing between genuine human users and AI bots has become a crucial concern. The World ID seeks to address this issue by providing a reliable and tamper-proof identification system.
Obtaining a World ID requires customers to undergo an in-person iris scan using the proprietary Worldcoin “orb,” a silver sphere roughly the size of a bowling ball. The orb’s iris scan technology serves as a foolproof method to verify an individual’s humanity, creating a unique and secure World ID for the authenticated person.
During its beta period, Worldcoin successfully garnered the support of 2 million users, providing a strong foundation for its official launch. With the Monday launch, the project is expanding its “orbing” operations to 35 cities in 20 countries, reaching out to an even broader user base. As an added incentive, participants from certain countries will receive Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency token, WLD.
The significance of the cryptocurrency aspect of World IDs cannot be understated. By leveraging blockchain technology, World IDs can be stored in a way that preserves user privacy and is impervious to control or shut down by any single entity. Co-founder Alex Blania highlights this aspect, pointing out the robustness and security of the system to Reuters.
The partnership with Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, adds further credibility to Worldcoin’s vision. With Binance confirming its listing of Worldcoin and trading expected to commence on Monday at 0900 GMT, the project is set to gain significant exposure in the cryptocurrency community.
Sam Altman, the visionary behind Worldcoin, sees the project as not only a technological breakthrough but also an opportunity to address broader economic challenges. With the rise of generative AI and its potential to reshape the workforce, Altman believes that it could lead to significant economic implications. One concept he finds intriguing is the implementation of universal basic income (UBI), a social benefits program that provides every individual with regular payments. Altman posits that as AI takes over more human tasks, UBI could be instrumental in mitigating income inequality. The integration of World IDs could play a crucial role in reducing fraud when implementing UBI since only verified humans can hold a World ID.
While Altman acknowledges that a world with widespread UBI may be a distant reality, he emphasizes the importance of experimentation and groundwork. Worldcoin’s introduction of the World ID system represents a significant step in exploring how such a concept could be practically implemented in the future.
As the world moves towards an increasingly AI-driven future, projects like Worldcoin are at the forefront of shaping the digital landscape. By combining the strength of blockchain technology and biometric verification, Worldcoin offers a compelling solution to the challenge of differentiating real human users from AI bots. While the road ahead may be challenging, the potential of Worldcoin to contribute to the development of more equitable economic systems and secure digital interactions is undoubtedly promising. As the project launches on Monday, the world will be closely watching the impact of Worldcoin and its innovative World ID system on the evolution of cryptocurrencies and identity verification in the age of AI.
