Controversial project Worldcoin, led by OpenAI creator Sam Altman, has been officially launched after years of development. With blockchain technology and artificial intelligence being the hotbeds of innovation, several entrepreneurs, including Altman, are keen to bring them together in unique projects like Worldcoin.
Altman, best known for founding OpenAI, the creator of the AI tool ChatGPT, does not enjoy an impeccable reputation in the cryptocurrency community due to the controversy surrounding Worldcoin. The project was founded with an ambitious goal of creating a global financial network and a new identity owned by everyone. However, its architecture has raised concerns among observers regarding the implications for society.
Worldcoin aims to expand economic opportunities by scaling up a reliable solution to differentiate humans from artificial intelligence. The Worldcoin token (WLD) has been launched on Optimism’s Mainnet and is accessible to all users. Post its listing on several cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance, WLD quickly hit a market capitalization of $28 billion within hours.
To participate in Worldcoin, users are required to download the World App, the project’s central application that enables payments and money transfers. However, on the app, users have to create their World ID, a digital fingerprint, by undergoing a retinal scan. According to the project’s creators, this step is necessary to prevent the creation of fake accounts. This practice, however, has sparked controversy.
The use of biometric data for accessing financial services has been criticized as a potential threat to individual freedoms. While there is robust regulation within the European Union to protect citizens from data misuse, data protection measures aren’t as strong in the rest of the world. Questions about the project’s legality and real-world utility are likely to surface soon.
The launch of Worldcoin has drawn criticism from the community. Edward Snowden, famous for revealing US mass surveillance, expressed concern about a financial network built on the collection of biometric data.
This looks like it produces a global (hash) database of people's iris scans (for "fairness"), and waves away the implications by saying "we deleted the scans!"
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 23, 2021
Yeah, but you save the *hashes* produced by the scans. Hashes that match *future* scans.
Don't catalogue eyeballs. https://t.co/uAk0NYGeZu
Vitalik Buterin, post the official launch of Worldcoin, voiced concerns about user privacy. He pointed out that even if the system currently only stores hashed versions of iris scans, and aims to protect the user’s identity using ZK-SNARK and other cryptographic techniques, there is an inherent risk of misuse or data leakage.
Despite the criticism, Buterin acknowledged the importance of proof-of-identity concept in the future, adding that he was keen to observe progress in this field, hoping that an effective solution could eventually be developed.
Days after its official launch, Worldcoin has attracted scrutiny from the UK Information Commission, which is questioning the project’s compliance claims. Launched as a revolutionary digital passport, Worldcoin promises a platform to certify users’ human identity. It’s worth noting that the platform has already boasted an impressive user base of 2 million, acquired during its beta phase.
The UK Information Commission, playing its role as a data guardian, emphasized that organizations need a transparent legal basis when handling personal data. The spokesperson stressed the importance of user consent, highlighting its voluntary nature and the ease of withdrawal without consequences. These regulations aim to maintain the sanctity of personal information in an increasingly digitized age.