Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, envisioned a future where billions of people would verify their identities using nothing more than an iris scan. This ambitious idea materialized in Worldcoin (formerly World ID), a startup Altman co-founded in 2019 with the goal of building “technology for humans in the age of AI.”
World uses a large, orb-shaped device to capture users’ iris patterns, generating unique codes that confirm they are human and not artificial intelligence. In exchange for this scan, individuals receive tokens of Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency, WLD. These codes could then unlock access to online platforms like Minecraft and Reddit.
Despite launching in 21 countries including the UK and attracting over $240 million in investment, World has fallen short of its lofty ambitions. Initial projections aimed for a staggering 2 billion users – a figure that seems increasingly unlikely given the current user base sits at just 17.5 million, according to Business Insider.
This discrepancy between vision and reality raises important questions about the project’s future. While Altman expressed optimism after reaching 2 million sign-ups during Worldcoin’s beta phase, stating “I’m hopeful for that number to get to 2 billion now!” no concrete roadmap has been publicly shared outlining how this target will be reached.
The venture has faced significant pushback from regulators and privacy advocates worldwide. Concerns center around the sensitive nature of biometric data collected through iris scans. Critics argue that this data is vulnerable to misuse by malicious actors, despite World’s assertions about robust security measures. In a company blog post, World maintains that “iris images are securely stored on the mobile device…and zero-knowledge proofs prevent third parties from knowing the person’s public key or tracking them across applications.”
Whether these assurances will quell growing anxieties remains to be seen. The project’s reliance on individual participation, coupled with persistent privacy concerns, may ultimately hinder its ability to scale to the billions of users Altman initially envisioned.
