OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s biometric startup World, previously Worldcoin, launched in six US cities Thursday—Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville and San Francisco.
It’s an orb to scan your eyeballs
People can walk in, scan their irises via a shiny biometric device, and get a unique World ID that proves they’re human. In return, they receive free Worldcoin (WLD), the project’s cryptocurrency.
World ID can be used to log in on platforms like Reddit, Discord, Telegram, Shopify, and Minecraft.
At a San Francisco launch event, World also announced two big partnerships: Visa will offer a World Visa card this summer, and Tinder will test World ID for age checks in Japan.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, several places have suspended its use.
So far, World has 26 million users globally, with 12 million verified.
Founded by Altman’s Tools for Humanity, the project has raised over $140 million and is backed by firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase.