With ChatGPT, Sam Altman’s OpenAI has brought artificial intelligence into our everyday lives. As AI technology continues to advance, questions about human authenticity and identity become increasingly relevant at work, online, in the entertainment industry, with civic engagement, and even in our social interactions.
Altman’s cryptocurrency project Worldcoin confronts the potential risks associated with an AI-dominated world. With the advent of deepfakes and synthetic media, ensuring the genuine representation and verification of human beings is becoming a challenge. Worldcoin's Proof of Unique Human (PoUH) concept aims to tackle this authenticity issue by providing a mechanism to establish and validate individual identity on the blockchain.
Universal Basic Income also plays a central role in the Worldcoin vision, providing individuals with a reliable and unconditional income floor to meet their basic needs and pursue their aspirations. This economic empowerment has the potential to alleviate poverty, reduce economic disparities, and unlock human potential on a global scale.
To me, Worldcoin seems both delusional and dystopian.
But after ChatGPT, it seems hard to bet against Sam Altman’s vision for the future.
So let’s try to understand Worldcoin better before passing judgment on it.
In this article, we will explore:
Why Worldcoin: Altman’s vision for addressing the challenges posed by AI
What Worldcoin is: World ID, World App, crypto, UBI, and a Cayman Islands entity
How someone can use Worldcoin today
Worldcoin’s Vision for Fighting the AI Threat to Human Identity
Worldcoin's Proof of Unique Human algorithm seeks to maintain the unique qualities that define our humanity, even in the face of advancing AI technologies.
By leveraging biometric data such as facial recognition, Worldcoin offers a means to verify human identity and combat the rise of synthetic media manipulation. This not only safeguards the integrity of personal interactions but also has potential applications in areas such as online voting, identity verification for financial services, and protecting against identity theft.
I am skeptical about whether this will work as intended. For one thing, it’s hard for me to imagine that people will give their biometric data to a company created by the same guy whose OpenAI code is threatening human authenticity. It seems like a conflict of interest! I mean, couldn’t this biometric data enable AI bots to become even more like us?
There are other concerns about Worldcoin’s collection and storage of biometric data:
Privacy and data security
While biometric data can offer a unique and reliable method for identity verification, its collection and storage introduce concerns about potential breaches or misuse. If the biometric data used for Proof of Unique Human were to be compromised, it could lead to identity theft or unauthorized access to personal information, posing significant privacy risks for individuals. In May, TechCrunch reported that hackers had been able to steal login credentials of several of Worldcoin's iris-scanning operator devices. Worldcoin stated that nobody’s personal information was stolen.
Reliability
Biometric data, unlike traditional identifiers such as passwords or PINs, cannot be easily changed or reset if compromised. This raises concerns about the permanence of one's identity and the potential consequences of a breach or misuse of biometric data.
Accuracy
The feasibility and accuracy of biometric verification methods in various real-world scenarios can also be a subject of debate. Factors such as changes in physical appearance, environmental conditions, or technical limitations may affect the reliability and effectiveness of facial recognition technology.
By utilizing biometric data and cryptographic verification, Worldcoin seeks to authenticate individual identities on the blockchain, fostering trust and combating identity fraud.
However, questions arise regarding the effectiveness and security of this system. How reliable and tamper-proof is the biometric data used for identification? What measures are in place to prevent potential data breaches or misuse? The robustness and resilience of Proof of Unique Human remain areas that require thorough examination.
How does Worldcoin work?
Worldcoin comprises several interconnected components that form the foundation of its mission to preserve human identity and foster global financial inclusion. Let's explore each of these components to gain a better understanding of Worldcoin's structure and purpose.
The Worldcoin Foundation
Based in the Cayman Islands, the Worldcoin Foundation acts as a steward, supporting the development and implementation of Worldcoin's initiatives and ensuring they align with the organization’s social impact goals.
Tools for Humanity
Headquartered in Germany, Tools for Humanity is a global software and hardware development company building the tools to bring blockchain and digital identity technologies and products to billions of people, including by contributing to the development and growth of the Worldcoin ecosystem.
Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Universal Basic Income lies at the core of Worldcoin's commitment to provide an unconditional income floor to individuals worldwide, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Through the implementation of UBI, Worldcoin aims to alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and empower individuals to pursue their aspirations.
While Universal Basic Income represents a core tenet of Worldcoin's mission, it is not without its challenges and critiques. The funding required to sustain a global UBI program raises concerns about financial sustainability and the redistribution of wealth. Critics question the feasibility of implementing UBI on a large scale, particularly in regions with diverse socioeconomic conditions and varying costs of living.
While Worldcoin aims to address income disparities, the initial allocation of tokens and the potential concentration of wealth among early adopters raises concerns. How can Worldcoin ensure a fair and equitable distribution of tokens to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities?
World App
The World App is a digital wallet that enables users to interact with the Worldcoin and Ethereum protocols, authenticate their Proof of Personhood with World ID, send money to anyone for free, claim Worldcoin Grants, and explore other crypto tokens like $USDC and $ETH. The World App allows users to save, invest, and send money, deposit and withdraw using bank accounts or local payment methods, and track their crypto holdings.
World ID
World ID is an essential component of Worldcoin's identity verification system. It utilizes biometric data, such as facial recognition, to establish and authenticate an individual's unique identity on the blockchain. World ID helps combat the risks associated with identity fraud and ensures the integrity of interactions within the Worldcoin ecosystem.
Proof of Personhood
Proof of Personhood leverages biometric data and cryptography to verify the authenticity of individuals participating in the network. This innovative approach ensures that only real people are eligible to receive the benefits of the Worldcoin ecosystem, promoting trust and security.
Worldcoin Token
The Worldcoin token is the native cryptocurrency of the Worldcoin ecosystem. It serves as a medium of exchange within the network, allowing participants to transact, store value, and engage in various economic activities. The token plays a vital role in enabling the distribution of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and promoting economic empowerment.
Worldcoin Blockchain
The Worldcoin blockchain is built on an Ethereum scaling software called Optimism. Worldcoin secures its network using the PoUH consensus algorithm, which is significantly less energy-intensive than crypto algorithms like Bitcoin, thus reducing the Worldcoin's environmental impact.
With these various tools, Worldcoin seeks to revolutionize the global economic landscape, leveraging technology and social impact to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
Many of these components make sense, yet I remain skeptical of both World ID (will people want to give their biometric identities to Worldcoin to store on the blockchain?) and their approach to UBI (what gives the Worldcoin token any underlying value?).
How to get Worldcoin
Worldcoin is not available in the United States. In countries where Worldcoin is available (I am unable to find a list of these countries), here are the steps to using it:
Download the World App: This step allows a person to set up their Worldcoin account and access a digital wallet connected to Worldcoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital and traditional currencies. The World App is operated by Tools for Humanity, a contributor to the Worldcoin system.
Sign up for World ID: It's possible to use the World App without signing up for World ID. However, in order to receive a free share of Worldcoin Tokens and other digital currencies, a person must sign up for World ID by visiting a Worldcoin Operator and verifying their unique personhood at an Orb. This process may evolve in the future to include other verification signals. The Orb uses iris biometrics to establish an individual’s unique personhood, then creates a digital World ID that can be used pseudonymously in a wide variety of everyday applications without revealing the user's identity.
Receive a free share of Worldcoin and other digital currencies: Once an individual has verified their unique personhood, people in countries where the Worldcoin Token is available (per Worldcoin's Terms and Conditions) will be able to use their World ID to claim their share of free Worldcoin Tokens.
Conclusion
While its concepts of Proof of Unique Human and Universal Basic Income hold promise for empowering individuals and addressing income disparities, I am approaching Worldcoin with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Questions surrounding privacy, data security, scalability, wealth distribution, and real-world adoption must be thoroughly addressed to ensure that Worldcoin can truly deliver on its transformative potential and contribute to a more inclusive and authentic future for human beings.