OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s identity startup ‘World’ has begun its rollout in the United States, introducing 20,000 biometric devices known as Orbs that scan users’ irises to confirm they are human.
From Worldcoin to World
World began life in 2019 as Worldcoin, a startup co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania through their company Tools for Humanity. Its original mission was to create a global digital identity system and one that could reliably distinguish real people from bots, fake accounts, or AI-generated personas online.
The concept gained early momentum and by 2023, World had begun international trials and attracted more than 26 million sign-ups across Europe, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Around 12 million of those have been fully verified through iris scanning. The platform has since rebranded as World, signalling a broader ambition beyond cryptocurrency to build infrastructure for a future internet rooted in proof of personhood.
What Is the Orb and What Does It Actually Do?
At the core of World’s technology is the Orb, a polished metallic device about the size of a bowling ball. When a person stands in front of it, the Orb scans their face and iris, producing a one-of-a-kind identifier. This identifier, or IrisCode, is then tied to a World ID, which is a kind of digital passport that can be used to log into platforms, verify identity, and prove personhood online.
Images Stored Locally For Privacy
World says the Orb never stores images of the eyes or face. Instead, biometric data is processed locally to create an encrypted code, which is considered a privacy-first approach because it limits the exposure of sensitive information and reduces the risk of mass data breaches. This code can then be used repeatedly without re-scanning and without giving third parties access to the original biometric material.
Which Platforms Can It Be Used With?
World IDs are already compatible with popular platforms such as Minecraft, Reddit, Discord, Shopify, and Telegram, thanks to an open API that allows developers to integrate identity verification into their services. This means users can log in, prove they are human, and access features without relying on traditional sign-in methods. Looking ahead, the system could also be used across a much wider range of applications, e.g. from online voting and content moderation to digital finance and secure access to AI tools. Users can also access the World App, a decentralised digital wallet that supports peer-to-peer payments, savings, and cryptocurrency transactions.
Why Launch Now and Why in the U.S.?
It seems that the timing of World’s U.S. launch is no accident. As Altman’s team explained during the company’s “At Last” event in San Francisco, there is growing urgency around digital trust and online authenticity. For example, the rise of generative AI, deepfakes, and synthetic media has made it increasingly difficult to know who (or what) is behind a digital profile.
Tools for Humanity believes this is a critical moment for establishing global standards of identity verification, particularly in areas like online finance, dating, and governance. With President Trump signalling support for a pro-crypto policy environment and plans for a national “crypto strategic reserve,” the U.S. now appears more welcoming to digital identity innovation than in recent years.
Rollout In Six Cities
Six flagship cities have been chosen for the U.S. rollout of World: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. Physical retail locations have been set up in each of these cities, with Orb devices also appearing in Razer gaming stores, allowing people to get scanned and onboarded in person.
Big-Name Partners and Real-World Use Cases
The launch is also backed by two major partnerships. Visa says it will introduce a new World-branded debit card later this year and that the card will only be available to users who have verified their identity through an Orb scan. Also, Match Group, the owner of Tinder, is beginning a pilot programme in Japan using World IDs for age verification and fraud protection.
These collaborations highlight the system’s potential across sectors. In online dating for example, World could help eliminate romance scams and catfishing by ensuring users are real and accurately aged. In payments and finance, it offers a new route to identity-backed, bot-resistant transactions without relying on government ID systems.
World also claims the technology can improve the fairness of AI systems. For example, by restricting access to services or votes to verified humans, platforms could reduce manipulation by automated accounts, vote stuffing, or fraud in decentralised applications.
Challenges and Criticisms
The most significant concern surrounding World is the creation of a permanent digital ID based on something that cannot be changed. i.e. the human iris. Even if the data is encrypted and stored in a decentralised format, the system still links a person’s physical identity to a global profile that may one day be used across multiple platforms and jurisdictions.
This has led privacy experts to argue that there are long-term risks from this kind of system. For example, once a biometric identifier like an iris is linked to a digital identity system, it cannot simply be revoked or replaced in the way a password can, and there is no way to reset an iris if trust in the system breaks down.
Suspended
It should be noted here that several governments have already taken action against World over concerns about how biometric data is collected, processed, and safeguarded. For example, Kenya suspended the project in 2023 following a criminal investigation into alleged data misuse and a lack of transparency. Hong Kong authorities declared the biometric scans excessive and unnecessary, ordering World to cease operations. Spain and Argentina also raised concerns, with the latter issuing fines over violations of local data laws and inadequate user consent.
Changes Made
In response, World has since made changes to its technical model. According to the company, no actual images of users’ irises are stored. Instead, the Orb generates a mathematical code called an IrisCode, which is encrypted and divided among several independent institutions. These include blockchain platforms and financial partners. The aim is to ensure that no single party has access to the full dataset. As Adrian Ludwig, chief information security officer at Tools for Humanity, explains: “We don’t have a single place that holds all the sensitive data,” and that “You’d have to compromise multiple companies and institutions simultaneously to reconstruct it.”
Despite this reassurance, it seems that many critics remain sceptical and questions continue to surface around informed consent, the possibility of misuse, and the long-term consequences of tying biometric identity to digital infrastructure. Even if the current implementation is secure, some argue it sets a precedent that could be difficult to control in future.
The project has become a focal point in ongoing debates about how society should approach identity in the age of artificial intelligence. While some view it as a timely and practical response to the growing challenge of online impersonation, others see it as the early foundation of a surveillance system that, once widely adopted, may be difficult to disentangle from daily digital life.
The Implications
The U.S. launch of World marks another notable move by Sam Altman into a space where AI, privacy, and human identity increasingly collide. While OpenAI is pushing the boundaries of what machines can do, World is designed to be focused on preserving what makes humans unique, and offering tools that could help establish trust in increasingly automated environments.
For rival tech firms and startups exploring digital identity, decentralised networks, or Web3 platforms, World’s growing user base and financial backing present a challenge. With over $140 million in funding and early traction across multiple continents, it now already appears to be a major player in the race to define how digital identity should work in the post-password, post-avatar age.
Businesses across sectors are already paying attention. For example, World’s API integrations suggest clear use cases in ecommerce, fintech, gaming, and social media. By tying access to verified personhood rather than traditional credentials, it offers a new way to protect against bots, fake accounts, and synthetic fraud.
As for individuals, some may broadly see World ID as a valuable key that could provide much needed safer and smoother digital experiences. Others, however, may (understandably) be cautious about linking their irises to any system, however privacy-focused or decentralised it claims to be.
With plans to scale to a billion users, World is positioning itself as a foundational layer for future internet infrastructure. Whether users, regulators and businesses are ready to follow remains an open question.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
With World, Sam Altman is essentially trying to redefine how digital identity works in an internet shaped by AI. The rollout is happening now, and it seems that the implications are already starting to take shape.
What sets World apart is its aim to make verified personhood a core feature of online infrastructure. If adopted at scale, it could change how people prove they are human when accessing websites, making payments, or interacting online. For businesses, this appears to offer a clear opportunity to reduce fraud, limit fake accounts, and create more secure digital environments, particularly in ecommerce, fintech, gaming, and media.
UK businesses are likely to follow this closely. With mounting concerns over AI-generated content, phishing attacks, and online impersonation, there is growing demand for robust yet user-friendly identity systems. A tool like World, therefore, if proven secure and accepted by regulators, could give companies a new way to protect platforms and build trust with users.
Whereas for governments, this system raises fundamental questions about privacy, oversight, and biometric data rights, for individuals, it could offer convenience and security, yet also introduces new risks around surveillance and long-term data use.
World is aiming to reach a billion users, and whether it succeeds will depend not just upon the technology, but also on how much control people feel they’re giving up, and whether the benefits are enough to justify it.
