Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency token project that was co-founded by Sam Altman, co-founder of Openai, has launched World ID, an AI-resistant protocol that will allow the verification of the identity of humans online through an iris scan. The protocol uses zero-knowledge proofs in connection with biometric data provided by the irises of the users. 

1/ Advanced generative AI introduces the need for mechanisms to improve fairness, social interaction and trust online.

That's why Worldcoin is initiating an open and permissionless protocol to prove personhood while preserving privacy 🧵 pic.twitter.com/8jWFFSGFrm

— Worldcoin (@worldcoin) March 31, 2023

The project, which mentioned this launch enables a nongovernment universal basic income (UBI) obtained through AI means and distributed via digital currencies, argues that the rise of AI models that can pass or almost pass the Turing test determines the need for more innovative protocols to determine the humanness of a being.

According to Worldcoin, the protocol will be private, self-sovereign, and decentralized, allowing users to have control over the utilization of their id data, while protecting the distribution of resources.

“Through the Proof of Personhood (PoP) credential, the World ID protocol empowers everyone to prove their humanness online without requiring a third party. The protocol leverages zero-knowledge proofs to maximize privacy and will eventually be governed by the people through World ID itself,” Worldcoin further states on its website.

The protocol, which also launched its software for builders to start experimenting with it, states that it will offer its service as a public utility, enabling its usage by giving ownership to individuals irrespective of nationality or background and accelerating the transition to a future that welcomes and benefits every person on the planet.

Due to the biometric approach of the protocol, a new hardware device had to be constructed. In partnership with Tools Of Humanity, a tech company, Worldcoin has introduced an iris-scanning device called the orb, which will be needed for the effective implementation of World ID.

The orb is an open-source hardware device designed to capture the iris of the users of the World ID protocol, which took years in the making per Worldcoin remarks. The device features two cameras, a wide-angle camera and a telephoto camera, which work in combination with a neural network to capture a high-resolution image of the Iris.

According to Worldcoin, so far, more than 1.4M people have participated and if successful, the AI protocol will become the largest network of real humans on the internet, accessible to all as a public good.