Sam Altman's World Expands Eye-Scanning Digital ID Project to UK Amid AI Concerns

Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning digital ID project to launch in UK

Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning digital ID project is rolling out in the UK, giving Brits access to verification services the entrepreneur claims are essential to distinguish between human and artificial intelligence. World has developed an orb "that confirms humanness" by scanning people's eyes, generating a digital credential that can be used to access goods and services online, as well as the group's own cryptocurrency, Worldcoin. This week, World is opening a number of locations in London where people can scan their irises to receive a World ID. The group is seeking to expand the scope of the project, which made its US debut in April. "The UK is certainly one of the more influential markets in the world . . . it punches well above its weight globally," said Adrian Ludwig, chief architect at Tools for Humanity, the primary developer behind World. The UK population, he added, "is significantly online, is already well aware of the impact AI is going to have and is having. In the UK over 75 per cent of citizens speak to having been effected by AI on nearly a daily basis." The project's leaders argue that AI is nearly at a stage in which it can faithfully imitate real people, in part thanks to advances made by companies such as Altman's OpenAI. The group anticipates that about 90 per cent of online content will be machine generated within two years and that, in many areas, distinguishing computers from people is already impossible. Tools for Humanity was founded by Altman and Alex Blania in 2019 and has raised more than $300mn from venture capitalists and others, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud last year. Last month, the group raised $135mn to build more orbs and fund its international expansion by selling Worldcoin to investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto. The group does not yet have any revenue, but is exploring options including introducing fees for partners, such as Tinder parent Match Group, which use World services. World's executives argue that a verification tool such as theirs is essential to help banks tackle fraud, ensure dating apps only host humans or that gig tickets are not sold to virtual touts. But World has faced pushback in European countries, including Spain and Portugal, over security and privacy concerns and been investigated by the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA), the German data protection authority, over its handling of biometric data. At the group's US launch event in April, Altman said World's technology was "a way to make sure humans remained central and special in a world where the internet had a lot of AI-driven content". Critics have highlighted that the challenge World seeks to resolve exists largely because Altman has raised billions of dollars to pursue powerful AI. The project must also overcome doubts about its utility and trustworthiness from users concerned about sharing their biometric data with a private company. World has updated its technology since German authorities raised its concerns and, according to Ludwig, retains no data from those who use the orb. "Data is being held by a user on their local device. It's not being uploaded somewhere. It's certainly not going to a server that's controlled by Tools for Humanity or by the World Foundation." He compares the process of using an iris scan to access online services to showing a driver's licence at a bar: "They look at it, they confirm that you're the age that you're claiming to be, and they allow you in. They don't write anything down."

Sam Altman brings his eye-scanning identity verification startup to the UK

LONDON -- World, the biometric identity verification project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is set to launch in the U.K. this week. The venture, which uses a spherical eye-scanning device called the Orb to scan people's eyes, will become available in London from Thursday and is planning to roll out to several other major U.K. cities -- including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, and Glasgow -- in the coming months. The project aims to authenticate the identity of humans with its Orb device and prevent the fraudulent abuse of artificial intelligence systems like deep fakes. It works by scanning a person's face and iris and then creating a unique code to verify that the individual is a human and not an AI. Once someone has created their iris code, they are then gifted some of World's WLD cryptocurrency and can use an anonymous identifier called World ID to sign into various applications. It currently works with the likes of Minecraft, Reddit and Discord.

Sam Altman's Eyeball-Scanning Identification Tech Expands to UK

Tools for Humanity, a startup co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, is rolling out its eyeball-scanning Orb devices to the UK as part of a global expansion of the company's novel identification services. Starting this week, people in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow will be able to scan their eyes using Tools for Humanity's proprietary orb device, the company said in a statement on Monday. The spherical Orbs will be at dedicated premises in shopping malls and on high streets, said Damien Kieran, chief legal and privacy officer at Tools for Humanity. Later, the company plans to partner with major retailers to provide self-serve Orbs that people can use as they would an ATM, Kieran added. The company, led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alex Blania, has presented its eye-scanning technology as a way for people to prove they are human at a time when artificial intelligence systems are becoming more adept at mimicking people. AI bots and deepfakes, including those enabled by generative AI tools created by Altman's OpenAI, pose a range of security threats, including identity theft, misinformation and social engineering. The Orb scan creates a digital credential, called World ID, based on the unique properties of a person's iris. Those who agree to the scan can also receive a cryptocurrency token called Worldcoin through the company. Tools for Humanity has faced regulatory scrutiny over privacy concerns about its technology in several markets, including investigations in Germany and Argentina, as well as bans in Spain and Hong Kong. The company said it doesn't store any personal information or biometric data and that the verification information remains on the World ID holder's mobile phone. Kieran said Tools for Humanity had been meeting with data regulators including the UK's Information Commissioner's Office and privacy advocates ahead of the planned expansion. So far, about 13 million people in countries including Mexico, Germany, Japan, Korea, Portugal and Thailand have verified their identities using Tools for Humanity's technology, the company said. In April, the company announced plans to expand to six US cities. There are 1,500 Orbs in circulation, Kieran said, but the company plans to ramp up production to ship 12,000 more over the next 12 months. © 2025 Bloomberg LP

Sam Altman's eye-scanning identification tech expands to UK

Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman, is launching its eye-scanning Orb devices in the UK, starting in London and expanding to other major cities. This global expansion aims to provide a unique digital identity, World ID, to combat AI-driven identity theft and misinformation.Tools for Humanity, a startup co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, is rolling out its eyeball-scanning Orb devices to the UK as part of a global expansion of the company's novel identification services. Starting this week, people in London will be able to scan their eyes using Tools for Humanity's proprietary Orb device, the company said in a statement on Monday. The service will roll out to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow in the coming months. The spherical Orbs will be at dedicated premises in shopping malls and on high streets, said Damien Kieran, chief legal and privacy officer at Tools for Humanity. Later, the company plans to partner with major retailers to provide self-serve Orbs that people can use as they would an ATM, Kieran added. The company, led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alex Blania, has presented its eye-scanning technology as a way for people to prove they are human at a time when artificial intelligence systems are becoming more adept at mimicking people. AI bots and deepfakes, including those enabled by generative AI tools created by Altman's OpenAI, pose a range of security threats, including identity theft, misinformation and social engineering. The Orb scan creates a digital credential, called World ID, based on the unique properties of a person's iris. Those who agree to the scan can also receive a cryptocurrency token called Worldcoin through the company. Tools for Humanity has faced regulatory scrutiny over privacy concerns about its technology in several markets, including investigations in Germany and Argentina, as well as bans in Spain and Hong Kong. The company said it doesn't store any personal information or biometric data and that the verification information remains on the World ID holder's mobile phone. Kieran said Tools for Humanity had been meeting with data regulators including the UK's Information Commissioner's Office and privacy advocates ahead of the planned expansion. So far, about 13 million people in countries including Mexico, Germany, Japan, Korea, Portugal and Thailand have verified their identities using Tools for Humanity's technology, the company said. In April, the company announced plans to expand to six US cities. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the Orb Mini, a smartphone-sized and -shaped device designed as a more portable alternative to the spherical version. There are 1,500 Orbs in circulation, Kieran said, but the company plans to ramp up production to ship 12,000 more over the next 12 months.

Sam Altman Brings Eyeball-Scanning Tech Effort to UK | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Sunday (June 8), the goal is to let people in Great Britain access verification services the company argues are critical for distinguishing between human and artificial intelligence (AI). World's central product is an "orb" that scans a person's eyeball to generate a digital ID that can access products and services online, along with the company's Worldcoin cryptocurrency. According to the FT, the company will open several locations in London this week, following its American debt in April. "The U.K. is certainly one of the more influential markets in the world . . . it punches well above its weight globally," Adrian Ludwig, chief architect at Tools for Humanity, the main developer behind World, told the FT. The British population, Ludwig added, "is significantly online, is already well aware of the impact AI is going to have and is having. In the U.K. over 75% of citizens speak to having been affected by AI on nearly a daily basis." The company contends that AI is approaching the point where it can credibly imitate real people, due in part to the world of firms like Altman's OpenAI. World projects that within two years, roughly 90% of online content will be made by machines. It also argues that in many cases, it's impossible to distinguish computers from people. PYMNTS explored this topic in 2023 in the report "Is That Content Generated by AI or Humans? Hard to Tell," a collaboration with AI-ID. "As AI models grow in size and complexity, the ability to distinguish AI-produced content from human-sourced material becomes increasingly difficult," that report said. "The same can be said for fraud: The more sophisticated the model, the more challenging it is to spot fraudulent activity. However, exposing artificial content is worth the effort and is critical to the integrity and survival of industries and organizations that depend on authentic, trustworthy information." World's efforts have drawn regulatory scrutiny in several countries due to privacy issues. Spain blocked the company last year, saying there were concerns that the company was collecting personal data of minors. The firm has also faced bans, fines or investigations in countries that include France, Portugal, Hong Kong and Kenya. Despite these worries, research by PYMNTS Intelligence has found that a large portion of Americans have embraced biometric authentication tools, with more than half of consumers who shop online turning to biometric authentication to verify purchases.