Worldcoin, the innovative cryptocurrency venture founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, commenced its highly anticipated launch on Monday.
The focal point of this groundbreaking project is its World ID, aptly dubbed the “Orb of Identity,” an ingenious solution designed to differentiate genuine humans from AI bots in the digital realm.
With a colossal user base of 2 million during its beta phase, the project has now set its sights on scaling up “orbing” operations across 35 cities in 20 countries, revolutionizing the way we perceive and interact with AI technology.
The World ID is the brainchild of San Francisco and Berlin-based Tools for Humanity, a forward-thinking organization committed to harnessing technology for the betterment of humanity.
Conceptually, the World ID serves as a “digital passport,” verifying a person’s authenticity through an in-person iris scan performed using Worldcoin’s distinctive ‘orb,’ a metallic sphere roughly the size of a bowling ball. Once the orb confirms the individual’s human status, a unique World ID is created, forever distinguishing them from artificial entities.
Since its official launch, Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency token, WLD, has taken the market by storm, exhibiting a remarkable surge in value. Binance, the world’s largest exchange, witnessed WLD soaring to an astonishing peak of $5.29, with the price settling at $2.49 as of 1000 GMT.
This extraordinary performance marks a phenomenal increase from its initial value of $0.15 and showcases a trading volume of $25.1 million on Binance’s platform, signaling the market’s unwavering confidence in the Worldcoin project.
At the core of the World ID’s appeal is its ability to combat the growing challenges posed by AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which effortlessly mimic human language. With the rise of generative AI, the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence have become increasingly blurred, giving rise to the urgent need for a reliable system to distinguish between the two.
World IDs are set to revolutionize the online landscape by ensuring that real individuals are unmistakably identified, offering unparalleled security and trustworthiness.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, co-founder Alex Blania emphasized the security and privacy features of the World ID, highlighting the integration of blockchain technology.
This innovative approach guarantees that World IDs remain impervious to manipulation by any single entity, ensuring a decentralized and tamper-proof system for authenticating human users.
Beyond the immediate benefits of identity verification, Worldcoin’s visionary CEO, Sam Altman, envisions a profound impact on the global economy, particularly as AI continues to reshape traditional employment structures.
Altman believes that AI-driven automation will inevitably lead to significant economic implications, potentially exacerbating income inequality.
In light of these concerns, Altman draws parallels with the concept of universal basic income (UBI), a social welfare program that provides financial support to every individual. Altman argues that as AI assumes an increasing share of human labor, UBI could play a pivotal role in mitigating income disparities.
The implementation of World IDs could serve as a cornerstone for the effective deployment of UBI, effectively curbing fraud and ensuring that genuine recipients benefit from this transformative economic initiative.
While acknowledging that a world with universal basic income may be “very far in the future,” Altman believes that Worldcoin’s pioneering efforts lay the groundwork for such ambitious social reforms. He emphasizes the importance of experimentation and innovation to address the challenges posed by AI-driven societal changes, paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive future.
