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Sam Altman relaunches Worldcoin with a new name, new plan and new hardware

Sam Altman’s crypto venture, once known as Worldcoin, has undergone a significant makeover. On Thursday, co-founder Sam Altman and his team announced the project’s rebranding to simply “World,” leaving behind the original cryptocurrency-centric name.

Along with the new identity, the startup behind it, Tools for Humanity, revealed its latest iris-scanning hardware, known as the Orb, and shared a fresh roadmap at an event in San Francisco.

The rebrand reflects a shift in focus. While the project initially promised Worldcoins in exchange for eye scans, that idea never materialized. Now, the startup appears to be expanding beyond crypto into broader territory. Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, hinted that the new name aligns with a larger mission.

He also confirmed that while Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, dedicates some of his time to World, the two initiatives are separate. However, the possibility of the world’s cryptocurrency integrating with ChatGPT hasn’t been ruled out.

A new approach to AI and identity
The world’s underlying idea is rooted in a future where artificial intelligence could make distinguishing humans from bots online tricky. The startup aims to offer a “human verification services” solution tied to blockchain technology. The team also hopes to democratize the benefits of AI by distributing wealth generated through Worldcoins.

The rebranded project has faced scrutiny from multiple governments, including Kenya and several EU nations, over privacy, security, and financial concerns. Though operations have resumed in Kenya, investigations in parts of Europe are ongoing, leaving the project’s future in those regions uncertain.

New tools unveiled
Blanca outlined the company’s four-step roadmap at the event, focusing on scaling up. With the first two steps—developing the Orb and building a blockchain-based distributed network—completed, the next goal is to increase the number of verified users massively. The project boasts seven million verified individuals but aims for far more.

To help achieve this, Tools for Humanity introduced a next-generation Orb, designed for faster scanning and easier mass production. The company also announced that users would soon be able to verify their identities at coffee shops, and it partnered with Rappi, a popular delivery service in Latin America, to enable home verifications.

The team also unveiled a new feature called Deep Face, intended to combat online deepfakes and impersonation by integrating human verification tools into platforms like FaceTime, Zoom, and X. Additionally, a beta version of the World ID credential was announced. While not intended to replace government-issued IDs, World ID allows users to verify their identity online without revealing unnecessary personal details, like a passport or driver’s license.

Trust issues loom
Despite the enthusiasm, gaining user trust remains a challenge. During the event, attendees were required to present government-issued IDs to verify their identities, raising eyebrows about whether users would feel comfortable sharing their information with a company closely associated with Altman. This concern is heightened by controversies involving Altman, including allegations of dishonesty with OpenAI’s board.

As the world embarks on its next chapter, it remains to be seen if it can overcome these hurdles and achieve its ambitious vision of blending AI, blockchain, and identity verification globally.

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