Worldcoin: The Latest Innovation from OpenAI's Sam Altman

OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, is a name synonymous with innovation and technological leaps. His latest venture, Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project, took its maiden flight into the world of digital currencies on Monday, promising a revolution in human identification.

The central element of the Worldcoin project is its World ID. Described by the company as a “digital passport”, this unique identifier aims to confirm the holder's identity as a real human, drawing a line between humans and AI bots. Acquiring a World ID involves a seemingly futuristic process: customers sign up for an in-person iris scan using Worldcoin's 'orb' - a bowling-ball-sized silver globe. As if in a scene from a sci-fi movie, the orb's iris scan assures the person's humanity before generating a World ID.

Worldcoin is a venture by Tools for Humanity, a company with roots in both San Francisco and Berlin. The ambitious project has already gathered an impressive user base of 2 million during its beta testing period. With its official launch on Monday, Worldcoin is ready to extend its “orbing” operations to 35 cities across 20 countries. To sweeten the deal, individuals who sign up from certain countries will receive Worldcoin's proprietary cryptocurrency token, WLD.

Early bird investors were delighted as the WLD's price soared in its initial trading hours on Monday. The token touched a high of $5.29 on Binance, the world's largest exchange platform. It later stabilized at $2.49 from a starting price of $0.15, clocking a trading volume of $25.1 million, according to Binance's official website.

Alex Blania, the co-founder of the project, told Reuters that blockchain technology allows for the safe storage of World IDs. It ensures privacy preservation and the inability of any single entity to control or shut down the system.

The World IDs are anticipated to play a significant role in the coming age of generative AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, which can simulate strikingly human-like conversations. World IDs promise a way to discern real humans from AI bots in the vast digital landscape.

Altman spoke to Reuters about the potential role of Worldcoin in addressing the economic transformation propelled by generative AI. “People will be supercharged by AI, which will have massive economic implications,” he observed.

A believer in Universal Basic Income (UBI) – a government-run social benefits program providing payments to every individual – Altman envisions UBI as a potential solution to combat income inequality in the AI-powered future. World IDs, which are exclusive to real people, could contribute to reducing fraud in UBI deployments.

While Altman acknowledges a world where UBI is commonplace is “very far in the future,” he remains optimistic. He believes Worldcoin can lay the groundwork for such a reality. “We think that we need to start experimenting with things so we can figure out what to do,” he stated.

Thus, Worldcoin, the latest brainchild of Sam Altman of OpenAI, promises to be a pathfinder in the new world of digital identities, economic transformation, and AI-driven societies.

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