Worldcoin, a project co-founded by Sam Altman, who is also a co-founder of artificial intelligence (AI) startup Openai, announced the launch of World ID, a digital personality test identification protocol. The protocol enables an AI-resistant verification of humanity online, using a device called an orb to scan each person’s iris for verification.
Worldcoin Launches Iris-Based World ID Humanity Verification System to Counter AI
Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency token project that was co-founded by Sam Altman, co-founder of Openai, has thrown out World ID, an AI-resistant protocol that will allow verification of the identity of humans online through iris scanning
Mentioning that this launch enables a non-government universal basic income (UBI) earned through AI means and distributed through digital currencies, the project argues that the rise of AI models that can pass or nearly pass the test of Turing determines the need for more innovative protocols to determine the “humanity” of a being.
World ID, a protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs in relation to biometric data provided by users’ irises, is Worldcoin’s proposal to face these new challenges. Wordcoin states that the protocol will be private, autonomous and decentralized, allowing users to have control over the use of their identification data, while protecting the distribution of resources.
The protocol, which has also released its software for builders to begin experimenting with, states that it will offer its service as a “public utility,” allowing its use by “giving ownership to people regardless of nationality or background and speeding up the transition to a future that welcomes and benefits everyone on the planet”.
enter the orb
However, due to the biometric approach of the protocol, a new hardware device had to be built. In alliance with tools of humanitya technology company, Worldcoin has introduced an iris scanning device called an orb, which will be required for the effective implementation of World ID.
the orb is an open source hardware device designed to capture the iris of users of the World ID protocol, which took years to make according to Worldcoin feedback. The device features two cameras, a wide-angle camera and a telephoto camera, which work in combination with a neural network to capture a high-resolution image of the Iris.
Divide manufacturing is well advanced and Worldcoin is already distributing these devices to various registry operators around the world. The project, which is currently in its beta stages, aims to launch during the first half of 2023.
What do you think about Worldcoin and its iris-enabled World ID protocol? Tell us in the comment section below.
image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
