The boss of OpenAI, which powered ChatGPT, now wants to launch a cryptocurrency called Worldcoin. It will have the particularity of being secured by biometric authentication.
ChatGPT, everyone is talking about it, it is artificial intelligence that has set the current digital revolution on fire. But the projects of Sam Altman, one of the founders of OpenAI, supported by Microsoft among others, do not stop at conversational robots or image generators. OpenAI’s boss also intends to tackle the world of cryptocurrencies to bring a new way of thinking to this universe.
According to an article in the Financial Times, Sam Altman has raised $100 million to develop a universal cryptocurrency with a wallet manager called Worldcoin. The eponymous company behind this project is not new, it was founded in 2019 and, until now, the project had remained quiet. It is based on the observation that in the world of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, there are still glaring security concerns that lead to regular theft of cryptocurrency fortunes from exchange platforms.
Iris biometrics as an identifier
Compared to these platforms and currencies, Worldcoin will have a unique feature. Its system of identifying wallet owners will be done by biometrics, and more specifically by scanning a person’s iris. A unique, reliable and tamper-proof way to secure one’s account. This identifier will not necessarily only be used to secure money, it could also be used for all other applications and also to prove that one is a human being in the digital world.
It could also be used to foil scam attempts based on false images or manipulations powered by generative artificial intelligence. This process will be available in an application called World App linked to the currency wallet. Despite the current unfavourable situation for cryptocurrencies, the company still expects to start recording the first transactions within the next six weeks… provided you have eyes.