World Network’s WLD token (formerly Worldcoin) surged more than 27% on Wednesday after a Forbes report linked the controversial crypto project to OpenAI’s broader effort to fight online bots.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wants to build a “biometric social network” to help online platforms verify users and remove AI-generated accounts, Forbes reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Sources familiar with the development of the project told Forbes that the OpenAI team has considered using Apple’s Face ID or World Orb, which scans a person’s iris to provide a unique identity.
World is the crypto project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and raised $135 million in a token sale to a16z and Bain Capital Crypto last year. The central premise of the project is World ID, a decentralized, privacy-focused identity system that uses the orb, a personalized biometric device that scans users’ irises and generates unique identifiers in compliance with privacy standards.
The token skyrocketed shortly after the report, briefly outperforming most major cryptocurrencies, although it did not confirm any formal collaboration between OpenAI and World.
The World Wide Web has attracted both curiosity and criticism since its launch. While the project claims to have verified millions of people around the world, it has also faced regulatory hurdles, including a temporary suspension in Kenya and inquiries in the UK over how it processes personal data.
Still, the idea of linking biometric verification to online identity continues to gain traction, especially as generative AI tools flood social media with spam and misinformation.
Read more: The untold story of the Worldcoin launch: inside the world
