Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

justaprogressive

(3,497 posts)
Thu May 1, 2025, 07:38 AM Thursday

Sam Altman's Eye-Scanning Orb Is Now Coming to the US - Wired

Sam Altman’s iris-scanning, identify-verification technology startup says it will begin expanding to the US starting May 1 and will launch a phone-like hardware device by next year. Those changes—and a promised World-branded debit card—signal the company’s ambitions to develop a “super app”—a goal shared by Elon Musk.

Altman and Alex Blania, a German physics researcher, announced at an event in San Francisco Wednesday evening that their venture-backed company, Tools for Humanity, is updating its “World” products to include a new, smaller, eye-scanning orb. The device-and-app combo scans people’s irises, creates a unique user ID, stores that information on the blockchain, and uses it as a form of identity verification. If enough people adopt the app globally, the thinking goes, it could ostensibly thwart scammers.

Altman has expressed concern about the amount of fakery that new AI tools will enable, including the generative AI tools pioneered by his other startup, OpenAI, which is valued at $300 billion. So the World app, and its hardware component, are Altman’s solution to the problem.

“Proving personhood” is a hard thing to productize, and whiffs of a scam have plagued the startup since it launched. The project has also been scrutinized by foreign governments for its biometric data-capture and storage policies. But Altman and Blania haven’t been deterred.


https://www.wired.com/story/sam-altman-orb-eyeball-scan-launch-us/
5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Sam Altman's Eye-Scanning Orb Is Now Coming to the US - Wired (Original Post) justaprogressive Thursday OP
Fuck that! 2naSalit Thursday #1
"Proving personhood" "Tracking people" tinrobot Thursday #2
Criminals will wear contact lenses to pretend to be people. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Thursday #3
I've seen enough sci-fi to know EYESORE 9001 Thursday #4
This needs to be resisted using any method possible k_buddy762 Thursday #5

k_buddy762

(94 posts)
5. This needs to be resisted using any method possible
Thu May 1, 2025, 08:48 AM
Thursday

I saw an idiot paying for her groceries with her HAND the other day. Companies and governments have enough of our information already, they do not need more.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Sam Altman's Eye-Scanning...