The founder of the prominent artificial intelligence company OpenAI launched his own cryptocurrencyMonday as part of a new project he helped fund that would give people around the world crypto tokens in exchange for their biometric data.
The Sam Altman-backed startup Worldcoin launched its cryptocurrency on Monday. The startup gained early traction by signing up users worldwide to receive tokens in exchange for scans of their irises via a device known as an "orb." The scans are designed to help users distinguish between humans and bots and, in time, provide a universal basic income to help minimize job losses caused by the growth of artificial intelligence.
The iris scans are used to create a "digital passport," which helps confirm if a user is an actual person. While the idea has drawn criticism over possible security breaches, Worldcoin co-founder Alex Blania told Reutersthat Worldcoin's blockchain-based approach to data storage will be secure enough to preserve users' privacy.
