The new version of the Orb can identify an individual by quickly scanning their iris. — World
The American startup World has announced that it has updated its iris-scanning identity authentication technology. A device, called the Orb, acts as a biometric eye scanner to confirm the identity of any human in its database.
World (formerly Worldcoin) was originally a cryptocurrency project, but the startup cofounded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is now focusing on showcasing its biometric identification system, which takes the form of an iris scanner called the Orb.
The device is designed to reliably and anonymously authenticate individuals with online accounts, in particular to combat the phenomenon of identity theft, and with cryptocurrency tokens offered in return for signing up.
At an event held in San Francisco, World's directors presented significant updates to their project. The most spectacular is the launch of a new version of the Orb to authenticate people's identity.
This device was originally designed to identify Worldcoin account holders in order to securely allocate them a share of the cryptocurrency. However, the project raises a number of questions, not least about the system's security and reliability, but also about privacy, despite the fact that iris images are not stored on the Orb.
In concrete terms, the Orb precisely scans the iris of a person's eye, which is used to authenticate their identity by assigning them a unique World ID. The iris was not chosen at random, as it is virtually impossible to recreate or fake it to fool the device.
World already says it as already verified seven million human beings using the Orb and World ID system. The idea is now to make Orb devices available on a self-serve basis at strategic points in certain major cities, as will be the case in Buenos Aires and Mexico City. The startup's aim is to one day reach one billion people whose identity can be verified in this way. – AFP Relaxnews
