Worldcoin's Orb Scans Eyes to Verify Humanity in AI Age

As artificial intelligence and bots become more prevalent online, distinguishing humans from machines is becoming increasingly difficult. Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, seeks to address this challenge with its Orb, a device that scans a person's iris to create a unique identifier. This identifier, known as an IrisHash, serves as proof of personhood in the digital realm.

The Orb works by capturing a high-resolution image of the iris, which is then converted into a unique code. Worldcoin asserts that this process is privacy-preserving, as the images are not stored or linked to personal information. Instead, the IrisHash is used to verify that an individual is a unique human being.

Worldcoin hopes its technology will be used in a variety of applications, including online voting, universal basic income distribution, and proving identity in online spaces. The company believes that verified personhood is essential for building a more equitable and trustworthy digital future. However, the project has raised privacy concerns, with critics questioning the security of the data and the potential for misuse. Worldcoin continues to address these concerns as it expands its reach and seeks to establish its Orb as a reliable method of human verification.