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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/07/ready-for-your-eye-scan-worldcoin-launches-but-not-quite-worldwide/ [arstechnica.com]

Sam Altman’s cryptocurrency project, the Worldcoin Foundation, is rolling out its services globally even as the company cofounded by the OpenAI chief faces regulatory pushback in the US.

The Berlin and San Francisco-based start-up announced on Monday that its technology, including its Worldcoin token—a cryptocurrency traceable on the blockchain that requires users to first prove their identity—will be available in 35 cities across 20 countries.

Central to the effort is an eye-scanning physical “orb,” which Worldcoin’s founders say is necessary for a future in which distinguishing between humans and robots becomes increasingly challenging due to a surge in artificial intelligence technology. Once users have proven they are not robots, they can be issued one of the company’s tokens.
[...]
Altman admitted that eye-scanning technology has “a clear ick factor,” but he is confident that with proper explanation the company can attract users.

“On crypto, there have been a lot of bad actors and that’s a real shame... we have to earn people’s trust, which is why we’re explaining so much about how the technology works and the road map for decentralizing the company,” he said.

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