Sam Altman’s project ‘World’ is now officially bringing its unique approach to identity verification to the United States, aiming to solve the rising issue of AI bots mimicking humans online. The venture, formerly known as Worldcoin, has begun setting up shop in half a dozen cities, offering iris scans as a biometric shield against bot infiltration.
The US debut aligns with growing concerns over distinguishing humans from AI online. At World locations in cities like Austin, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, users gaze into a spherical biometric device that scans their face and iris. In about 30 seconds, it generates a unique “IrisCode” to confirm humanity, blocking bots that lack physical irises.
“We needed a way to authenticate humans in the age of artificial general intelligence,” Altman said at a San Francisco press event yesterday, as reported by the likes of CNBC and Techcrunch. “We wanted to keep humans central in a world flooded with AI-driven content.”
Verified users receive the project’s cryptocurrency, WLD, and a World ID that integrates with platforms like Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Discord — reducing bot interference by ensuring only humans sign in. The company unveiled partnerships, including a “World Visa card” launching this summer and Tinder testing World ID for age verification in Japan.
The project boasts 26 million users worldwide, with 12 million fully verified, aiming to scale to one billion. World introduced the “Orb Mini,” a portable verification device, and plans to deploy 7,500 orbs across the US by year-end.
Co-founder Alex Blania said the orbs “will be everywhere — gas stations, convenience stores — letting you verify in minutes.” A new factory in Richardson, Texas, will support this expansion.
Privacy remains a concern, with some data stored to prevent fraud. Chief Information Security Officer Adrian Ludwig insists it’s secure stating: “We split sensitive data across multiple entities and use cryptography to protect it.”
Tools for Humanity, the Altman-founded startup behind World, has raised over $140 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, hitting a $1 billion valuation in 2021. The US rollout leverages a crypto-friendly regulatory shift under President Trump’s administration since January.
Dwayne Cubbins
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For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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