Sam Altman’s Orb-Scanning Startup World Lands in Atlanta to Prove You’re Human
The spot isn’t your typical brick and mortar shop. Instead of walking in and shopping for something, people come into World to verify their “humanness.”
Sam Altman’s latest identity-focused startup is putting down roots in Atlanta.
World, the California-based proof of human (PoH) technology platform, just opened up its flagship location in Ponce City Market, a popular live-work-play area in Atlanta popular hub with tech companies. After launching across the globe, World picked Atlanta as one of six places to open up its United States’ operations.
The spot isn’t your typical brick and mortar shop. Instead of walking in and shopping for something, people come into World to verify their “humanness.”
Confused? Well, think about all the online and in-person places where you are asked to share your identity. From mobile banking apps to esports platforms to social media logins, we are constantly being asked to prove who we are. World is looking to make that process safer…and anonymous.
Step Into The Orb
People who come into the World’s location stand in front of the company’s signature Orb with a unique “liquid lens” to capture their image. Once a new user is confirmed, that user receives a World ID. That provides them an anonymous, privacy-preserving digital passport that lives in their World App. Critical private data is not stored on World’s end, making it secure and resilient against any breaches or bad actors. The App then opens up access to digital assets, access Mini Apps and the ability to claim Worldcoin tokens. This might help ensure that bots are not taking over a gaming platform or that it is a real person trying to purchase something online.
Adrian Ludwig, The Chief Architect for Tools for Humanity, the company behind the World’s Orbs, told a group of reporters last week in Atlanta that the use cases for anonymous human verification and community platform can only grow, particularly for digital platforms that want to grow while remaining private.
“The protocol itself has a mechanism for charging fees. We're not expecting that users would pay. But we do think the value to social media [and to] gaming is pretty substantial. Many of them are already spending hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars a year to protect their services. Being able to introduce one additional check, proof of humanity, into their existing infrastructure is incredibly valuable,” Ludwig added.
Why ATL
The Orbs are currently being manufactured in Germany, but there are plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Texas, he added. The company’s hardware and a good part of its software is open sourced, which they believe will help it reach a more universal, decentralized audience.
World Orbs have already taken off in other parts of the world. Over 12.5 million individuals being verified to date. In certain parts of Argentina, for example, access to World’s blockchain technology and World Coin has been helpful for those dealing with inflation and lack of access to stable currencies. In Taiwan, the technology has taken off in their media sphere as the island looks to verify comments online.
Ludwig said that verification can also play an important role in the democratic and electoral process in states like Georgia.
“[Georgia] is a critical place for democracy in the United States. So making sure that comments on news sites are actually coming from a real human, and perhaps even are coming from a particular type of person, is critical,” he added.
