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 proof of personhood ID protocol. The protocol allows for an AI-resistant verification of humanness online, using a device called the orb to scan the iris of each person for verification.
Worldcoin Launches Iris-Based World ID Humannness Verification System To Counter AI
Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency token project that was co-founded by Sam Altman, co-founder of Openai, has launched World ID, an AI-resistant protocol that will allow the verification of the identity of humans online through iris scan
The project, which mentioned this launch enables a nongovernment universal basic income (UBI) obtained through AI means and distributed via digital currencies, argues that the rise of AI models that can pass or almost pass the Turing test determines the need for more innovative protocols to determine the “humanness” of a being.
World ID, a protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs in connection with biometric data provided by the irises of the users, is Worldcoin’s proposal to face these new challenges. Wordcoin states that the protocol will be private, self-sovereign, and decentralized, allowing users to have control over the utilization of their id data, while protecting the distribution of resources.
The protocol, which also launched its software for builders to start experimenting with it, states that it will offer its service as a “public utility,” enabling its usage by “giving ownership to individuals irrespective of nationality or background and accelerating the transition to a future that welcomes and benefits every person on the planet.”
Enter The Orb
However, due to the biometric approach of the protocol, a new hardware device had to be constructed. In partnership with Tools Of Humanity, a tech company, Worldcoin has introduced an iris-scanning device called the orb, which will be needed for the effective implementation of World ID.
The orb is an open-source hardware device designed to capture the iris of the users of the World ID protocol, which took years in the making per Worldcoin remarks. 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.
The manufacturing of the divide is already advanced, and Worldcoin is already distributing these devices to several registry operators all around the world. The project, which is currently in its beta stages, aims to launch during the first half of 2023.
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