Sam Altman Emphasizes Worldcoin Global Identity Project Amid Accelerating AI Developments at OpenAI

The Worldcoin project generated significant buzz in August this year but experienced a subsequent decline in attention. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s recent endorsement has reignited interest in the initiative. Altman expressed admiration for the Worldcoin project during a recent interview, drawing attention back to its fundamental concept. This brainchild of Altman, part of the web3 initiative, is designed to establish a distinct global identity for individuals using blockchain technology, aiming to differentiate human identities from those of AI and robots.

In conversation with investment bank FT Partners, Altman reportedly said, “in a world with a lot of AI, knowing who is human matters more and more.”

This statement from OpenAI’s chief came just days after reports surfaced that Worldcoin’s parent company called Tools for Humanity was looking to bag a funding of at least up to $50 million. To do so, the company is selling Worldcoin ‘s native WLD tokens at slashed prices.

After governments of multiple countries opened inquiries on Worldcoin, it may have resulted in some slowdown for the project’s fundings. For the authorities of Kenya, Germany, and the UK, among other nations – Worldcoin’s requirement for people to register their iris scans did not bode well. The Kenyan law enforcement officers, in particular, also seized Worldcoin’s records and Orb machines to be investigated by Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.

Earlier this year in May, investment firms like Blockchain Capital, a16z crypto, and Bain Capital Crypto injected $115 million into Worldcoin in a Series C funding round.

Following a period of relative obscurity since August, the project reemerged into the spotlight when Altman emphasized, “the belief was and is that as AI becomes an increasingly important part of our lives…the ability to identify unique humans was going to be more and more important.” Altman’s recent remarks have redirected attention to the significance of individual human identification, particularly amidst the growing influence of AI in our daily lives.

Hailing from San Francisco, the US, the company aims to allocate ‘World IDs’ to individuals worldwide. Through this implementation of an ‘international proof of personhood,’ Worldcoin envisions a future where individuals won’t be required to disclose personal details such as names, numbers, and email IDs to access various websites and platforms.