Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning identification tech expands to UK
Tools for Humanity, a start-up 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, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow will be able to scan their eyes using Tools for Humanity's proprietary orb device, the company said in a statement on Monday.
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.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during an event in Tokyo, Japan, on February 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
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.
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