Sam Altman's eye-scanning identification tech expands to UK
HighlightsTools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman, is launching its eye-mapping Orb devices in the United Kingdom as part of a global expansion of its identification services. The Orb device creates a digital credential called World ID based on the unique properties of a person's iris, allowing individuals to prove their identity amid rising artificial intelligence threats. The company has faced regulatory scrutiny over privacy concerns in multiple markets, but claims it does not store personal information, with verification details kept on the users' mobile phones.
Tools for Humanity
, a startup co-founded by OpenAI's
Sam Altman
, is rolling out its eyeball-scanning Orb devices to the UK as part of a global expansion of the company's novel identification services.
Starting this week, people in London will be able to scan their eyes using Tools for Humanity's proprietary Orb device, the company said in a statement on Monday. The service will roll out to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow in the coming months.
The spherical Orbs will be at dedicated premises in shopping malls and on high streets, said Damien Kieran, chief legal and privacy officer at Tools for Humanity. Later, the company plans to partner with major retailers to provide self-serve Orbs that people can use as they would an ATM, Kieran added.
The company, led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alex Blania, has presented its eye-scanning technology as a way for people to prove they are human at a time when artificial intelligence systems are becoming more adept at mimicking people.
AI bots
and
deepfakes
, including those enabled by generative AI tools created by Altman's OpenAI, pose a range of security threats, including identity theft, misinformation and social engineering.
The Orb scan creates a digital credential, called World ID, based on the unique properties of a person's iris. Those who agree to the scan can also receive a cryptocurrency token called Worldcoin through the company.
Tools for Humanity has faced regulatory scrutiny over privacy concerns about its technology in several markets, including investigations in Germany and Argentina, as well as bans in Spain and Hong Kong. The company said it doesn't store any personal information or biometric data and that the verification information remains on the World ID holder's mobile phone.
Kieran said Tools for Humanity had been meeting with data regulators including the UK's Information Commissioner's Office and privacy advocates ahead of the planned expansion.
So far, about 13 million people in countries including Mexico, Germany, Japan, Korea, Portugal and Thailand have verified their identities using Tools for Humanity's technology, the company said. In April, the company announced plans to expand to six US cities.
Earlier this year, the company unveiled the Orb Mini, a smartphone-sized and -shaped device designed as a more portable alternative to the spherical version.
There are 1,500 Orbs in circulation, Kieran said, but the company plans to ramp up production to ship 12,000 more over the next 12 months.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
43 minutes ago
- Mint
AMD's Helios Server launch signals bold challenge to Nvidia's AI supremacy, backed by OpenAI and Crusoe
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has revealed its next major push into artificial intelligence hardware, unveiling a new AI server platform calledHelios, designed to challenge Nvidia's dominance in the sector. Speaking at the company's 'Advancing AI' developer conference, CEO Lisa Su outlined AMD's roadmap through 2026, including the launch of the MI350 and upcoming MI400 series AI chips. The Helios servers, set for release next year, will be powered by 72 of the MI400 chips, placing them in direct competition with Nvidia's NVL72 servers built around the Blackwell architecture. Crucially, AMD announced that core elements of the Helios system, including networking standards, would be made openly available, a sharp contrast to Nvidia's historically closed NVLink technology, which has only recently begun to be licensed out under industry pressure. Su stated, 'The future of AI is not going to be built by any one company or in a closed ecosystem. It's going to be shaped by open collaboration across the industry.' In a significant endorsement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined Su onstage and confirmed the company is working closely with AMD on the development of the MI450 chip series, helping tailor the design for large-scale AI workloads. Altman reflected on OpenAI's exponential infrastructure growth, calling it'a crazy, crazy thing to watch.' Executives from Meta, Oracle, xAI, and AI-focused cloud provider Crusoe also took part in the keynote, with Crusoe revealing plans to purchase $400 million worth of AMD chips, a vote of confidence in the company's renewed AI ambitions. Despite the fanfare, AMD shares dipped 2.2 per cent following the announcement. Analysts like Kinngai Chan of Summit Insights suggested the new chips are unlikely to dramatically shift AMD's current market position in the near term, given Nvidia's strong lead in both hardware and supporting software ecosystems. To address these gaps, AMD has made a series of acquisitions aimed at bolstering its AI software capabilities and server infrastructure. The firm acquired server manufacturer ZT Systems in March and recently brought on talent from Untether AI and generative AI startup Lamini. Over the past year, AMD has made 25 strategic investments to accelerate its AI agenda. Nonetheless, AMD's ROCm software platform still trails Nvidia's CUDA in terms of developer adoption and ecosystem maturity. CUDA remains a cornerstone of Nvidia's AI stronghold, widely regarded as a key factor in its dominance. AMD, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, continues to forecast strong double-digit growth in its AI chip segment for the coming year, even as export restrictions on high-end chips to China intensify. (With inputs from Reuters)
Fashion Value Chain
2 hours ago
- Fashion Value Chain
A10 Networks Demonstrates Capabilities for the Security, Resilience and Performance of AI Infrastructure
Organizations across the globe are rapidly deploying new AI applications and building new AI-ready data centers to automate and achieve operational excellence in their organizations. This requires ultra-high performance for AI and large language model (LLM) inference environments to deliver real-time response, as well as new cybersecurity solutions to secure them. A10 Networks Demonstrates Capabilities for the Security, Resilience and Performance of AI Infrastructure To help prepare and protect these new AI environments, A10 Networks (NYSE: ATEN) is demonstrating new AI firewall and predictive performance capabilities at the upcoming Interop Tokyo conference, 'AI Steps into Reality,' on June 11-13, 2025. Preventing, Detecting and Mitigating AI and LLM-level Cyber Threats A10 is announcing new AI firewall capabilities that can be deployed in front of APIs or URLs that expose large language models – either as a custom LLM or developed on top of a commercial solution like OpenAI or Anthropic. Built on edge-optimized architecture with GPU-enabled hardware, these capabilities protect AI LLMs at high performance and can be deployed in any infrastructure as an incremental security capability. These capabilities can help prevent, detect and mitigate AI-level threats by enabling customers to test their AI inference models against known vulnerabilities and to help remove them using A10's proprietary LLM safeguarding techniques. The capability detects AI-level threats like prompt injections and sensitive information disclosure by inspecting request and response traffic at the prompt level and enforcing security policies required for mitigating these threats. Delivering Real-time Experience for AI and LLM Inference Environments A10 continues to deliver high performance and resilience for AI and LLM-enabled applications. This is done by offloading processor-intensive tasks like TLS/SSL decryption, caching, optimizing traffic routing and by providing actionable insights to maximize network availability and performance. New capabilities allow early detection of network performance issues, much like an early warning system. This helps identify near-term congestion or capacity deficiencies, helping customers to take proactive action before an issue becomes critical. The capabilities help prevent unscheduled downtime and plan for optimal network performance. Predictive performance will run on A10 appliances that are powered by GPUs, allowing faster processing speed with the ability to quickly analyze vast amounts of data and provide insights into anomalies ahead of time. Together, these AI security and infrastructure capabilities allow for ease of management, broader intelligence to accurately detect threats, and help deliver an optimal customer experience. 'Enterprises are deploying and training AI and LLM inference models on-premises or in the cloud at a rapid pace. New capabilities must be developed to address three key challenges of these new environments: latency, security and operational complexity. With over 20 years of experience in securing and delivering applications, we are expanding our capabilities to deliver on these needs to provide resilience, high performance and security for AI and LLM infrastructures,' said Dhrupad Trivedi, president and CEO, A10 Networks. For More Information Learn more about A10's strategy for securing AI environments Follow us on Social Media Visit our blog Connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook About A10 Networks A10 Networks provides security and infrastructure solutions for on-premises, hybrid cloud, and edge-cloud environments. Our 7000+ customers span global large enterprises and communications, cloud and web service providers who must provide business- critical applications and networks that are secure, available, and efficient. Founded in 2004, A10 Networks is based in San Jose, Calif. and serves customers globally. For more information, visit and follow us at A10Networks.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mattel partners with OpenAI to bring AI to Barbie, Hot Wheels and more
AI powerhouse OpenAI has announced a strategic partnership with Barbie-maker Mattel Inc. Under this partnership, the Sam Altman-led company will create AI-powered toys and experiences. This will essentially bring OpenAI's tech to Mattel brands such as Hot Wheels, American Girl, Barbie, and more. 'We're pleased to work with Mattel as it moves to introduce thoughtful AI-powered experiences and products into its iconic brands, while also providing its employees the benefits of ChatGPT. With OpenAI, Mattel has access to an advanced set of AI capabilities alongside new tools to enable productivity, creativity, and company-wide transformation at scale,' said Brad Lightcap, chief operating officer at OpenAI. Under the agreement Mattel will use OpenAI's expertise to design, develop, and launch 'groundbreaking experiences for fans worldwide.' Mattel has said that with the help of OpenAI's technology, it will bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences with an emphasis on innovation, privacy, and safety. 'Each of our products and experiences is designed to inspire fans, entertain audiences, and enrich lives through play. AI has the power to expand on that mission and broaden the reach of our brands in new and exciting ways. Our work with OpenAI will enable us to leverage new technologies to solidify our leadership in innovation and reimagine new forms of play,' said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer at Mattel. 'Mattel will incorporate OpenAI's advanced AI tools like ChatGPT Enterprise into its business operations to enhance product development and creative ideation, drive innovation, and deepen engagement with its audience. With OpenAI, Mattel will have advanced AI capabilities that can power the development and operations of consumer products and experiences,' the company said in an official statement. Under this collaboration, consumers can expect the first AI-powered product later this year. The partnership will cover physical toys and digital experiences across Mattel's portfolio which features hundreds of iconic brands and game titles. Besides, Mattel employees will also gain access to ChatGPT Enterprise to augment creative ideation and streamline business operations across the company. It needs to be noted that both companies emphasised safety and age-appropriate design, with Mattel having full control over its IP and final products. This is a significant development as it means now toys are about to get more personalised and intelligent with AI. However, children interacting with AI is likely to cause a stir and it may even raise concerns about development, privacy and the larger question – if at all AI belongs in the playroom. However, for much of the debate to unfold, it is ideal to wait for the AI-powered toys to hit the market.
