Eye scan project World on the way to becoming a super app

AI visionary Sam Altman is driving forward a project that aims to distinguish real people from software fakes on the internet. To do this, users will have their eyes scanned.

The World identification project, which uses eye scans to distinguish people on the internet from machines, is entering the money transfer and other financial services business. Among other things, users will be able to send money to friends and family free of charge via the World app. There will be an account number for interactions with the banking system – and together with Visa, World is launching a payment card.

One of the people behind the project is the head of ChatGPT inventor OpenAI, Sam Altman. He argues that the development of artificial intelligence is making it increasingly difficult to distinguish people from software online. The idea behind the verification system is that users should be able to rely on the fact that they are interacting with real people.

People should create a profile – “World ID” – with an eye scan. This can only be done on World scanners called Orb. As an incentive, there are units of the company’s own digital currency. Following the launch in Latin America, Europe and Asia, among others, World is now also launching in its home market of the USA.

Online dating as a market

World is trying to tap into areas where there is a greater need for verification. For example, there is a cooperation with the gaming specialist Razer, which is intended to ensure that you are dealing with people and not software bots in a game.

Another such area is online dating. Initially in Japan, users of apps such as Tinder and OkCupid will be able to register with their World ID in a pilot project later this year. World is working together with the dating platform operator Match Group.

Faster than Musk with App for Everything

With the new functions, World is moving closer to the vision of a super app that covers all possible areas of everyday life. Applications such as WeChat are particularly popular in Asia. Elon Musk has long announced his intention to develop his Twitter successor platform X into a universal app, but has made little progress so far. Musk has been a fierce opponent of Altman for years.

dpa