Tools for Humanity, the startup behind the World verification initiative co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, revealed its new mobile device designed to determine if a user is human or an AI. The Orb Mini was launched on Wednesday during the company’s “At Last” event in San Francisco.
A Smartphone-Sized Device That Scans Eyeballs
The Orb Mini, introduced by Rich Heley, Chief Device Officer at Tools for Humanity, is a compact device shaped like a smartphone. It features two large sensors on the front, designed to scan users’ irises for verification.
The Orb Mini is a smaller, portable version of the original Orb device, which was developed by the company to help users prove they are human by providing a unique identifier stored on the blockchain.
The World project, formerly known as Worldcoin, was co-founded by Altman and Alex Blania. Its goal is to address the challenge of distinguishing humans from AI agents online, as artificial intelligence continues to advance. The Orb Mini is part of a larger effort to create digital “proof of human” tools that could help millions of users verify their humanity.
Expansion Across the U.S.
In addition to the Orb Mini launch, Tools for Humanity is expanding its World Network across the U.S. with new storefronts in Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. These locations will allow users to visit in person and have their irises scanned by the Orb devices, a service that has already launched in other countries.
With 26 million users signed up globally, and 12 million already verified, the company aims to grow its reach, particularly in the U.S.
While the Orb Mini’s main purpose is human verification, the company hinted at other potential uses. Blania shared with TechCrunch that the company might eventually transform the device into a mobile point-of-sale tool and could license the technology to hardware manufacturers.
Given Sam Altman’s involvement in both OpenAI and Tools for Humanity, questions have arisen about the possibility of integrating AI into the Orb Mini. However, at this time, no formal connection between the two ventures has been made, and it remains unclear whether AI features will be included in the device.
What The Author Thinks
The idea of verifying humans using eye scans may seem like a logical solution in a world increasingly dominated by AI. However, this system raises concerns around privacy and data security. The idea of using biometric data for verification, stored on a blockchain, could lead to excessive surveillance and data misuse. As convenient as it may be, relying on such technology should be carefully considered, especially when it comes to who controls this sensitive information.
