Sam Altman’s Bid to Balance Consumer’s AI Concerns With Greater AI Safeguards
By Greg Kahn
Emerging Tech Exchange
Founder & CEO
Published on July 31, 2023
“Deepfakes” have represented one of the main fears consumers and tech watchdogs have cited for years about the advances of artificial intelligence.
Sam Altman, the founder of ChatGPT parent OpenAI, believes he has the answer to the security worries that AI can easily fool both systems and people by digitally altering the likenesses of real people’s voices and images.
That answer? More AI to create a “digital passport” to verify the authenticity of a person’s identity to distinguish them from bot imposters and the potential havoc stemming from their use.
Altman’s venture is called Worldcoin. It’s a cryptocurrency-based project initiated by Berlin-based Tools for Humanity, a software and hardware company focused on using blockchain to improve the global financial system.
Worldcoin, which launched on Monday, aims to verify the authenticity of users, combat fraud, and enable “global democratic processes.” However, as the initiative gains momentum, it also raises questions about the balance between consumer convenience and consumer privacy.
Worldcoin's core offering is the World ID, which requires customers to undergo an in-person iris scan using the project's innovative “orb.” This silver ball, reminiscent of a bowling ball in size, scans the iris to create a unique World ID, proving that the individual is a genuine human and not an AI bot. The World ID, stored on blockchains to preserve privacy, serves as a powerful tool to differentiate real people from AI bots in the age of generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, ensuring more secure online interactions.
The collective concept of Worldcoin, WorldID and the orb touches on so many positive and negative emotions consumers and privacy advocates have alternately cheered and fretted about for years.
For example, airport and event entry identity validation system Clear has been widely adopted in airports by consumers who want to skip long lines for flights and shows. But its use of eye-scanning technology continues to stoke paranoia in many consumers. But there are signs those fears may be waning.
Worldcoin’s launch garnered significant attention, and the project already boasts two million users from its beta period. As it scales up operations, Worldcoin is set to roll out "orbing" operations in 35 cities across 20 countries. Users in certain countries are enticed to join with the promise of receiving Worldcoin's cryptocurrency token, WLD. The token's value surged in early trading on Monday, hitting a peak of $5.29 on Binance, the world's largest exchange.
The value of biometrics, as demonstrated by Worldcoin's World ID, extends beyond the cryptocurrency realm. Altman is betting his technology can reshape the economy by powering generative AI while reducing any problems that result from its penetration into all aspects of society.
For example, to blunt any expectations of mass economic dislocation related to AI, Altman has advocated for a universal basic income. Naturally, he views Worldcom’s crypto system as the basis for distributing the UBI to the people who need it.
Whether the UBI idea gains any traction is beside the point. Altman is a visionary. And while he could easily narrow his focus to solely expanding ChatGPT, he sees all the interlocking parts that could buttress his creation and defend it against rivals as well as regulatory threats and consumer backlash.
Notably, Worldcoin's tokenomics involve holding approximately 20% of all tokens, and the maximum circulating supply of the ERC-20 based token is initially capped at 143 million.
No major undertaking is without pitfalls. But Altman’s ability to chart a path for his wide ranging interests is breathtaking. In the meantime, Worldcoin’s development has been the first real positive news for crypto this year. No matter what, the waves Altman is making will continue to get bigger and its impact will continue to reshape the dialogue around privacy, convenience, finance, and technology’s role throughout the world.
Greg Kahn
Emerging Tech Exchange
Founder & CEO
