On the third day of the launch of Worldcoin (WLD), the project seems to be silencing its critics, who anticipated a measured interest in the technology. Indeed, queues are forming in countries where the Orb has arrived, to scan users’ eyes. Could this be Sam Altman’s dystopia in the making?
Queues for access to the Worldcoin Orb
Dystopian for some, visionary for others, the Worldcoin project has been the talk of the town since its launch three days ago. The technology, which makes use of users’ biometric data, is in fact being offered in several of the world’s major cities. Interested parties can meet the Orb: the technology used for iris scans. The collection of this biometric data is then used to generate WorldIDs, thus associating each digital identity with a real person.
According to a number of local observers, and project founder Sam Altman himself, the project has been a resounding success. The creator of Worldcoin and founder of OpenAI explains that there is now a scan every 8 seconds worldwide:
day 3 of @worldcoin launch, crazy lines around the world. one person getting verified every 8 seconds now. pic.twitter.com/vHRu1sWMT3
– Sam Altman (@sama) July 26, 2023
While we can’t confirm this figure, the images do show long queues. In Japan, iris scans are said to be available in exchange for 25 WLD, or around $50 at current prices. Worldcoin Orbs are available in 35 countries. The United States is not included in the list, due to the regulatory framework deemed too hostile.
1,500 Orbs coming soon
Currently, Tools for Humanity, the company behind the Worldcoin project, has 200 Orbs to send to the four corners of the world. And the pace is set to accelerate: 1,500 of them should be available by the end of 2023. The application is available in 120 countries.
At launch, Worldcoin confirmed that over 2 million people had already been scanned. Of these, 63% are located in Africa and Asia, with Europe accounting for 17%. We’ve already mentioned this, but it’s one of the major criticisms levelled at Worldcoin, which is accused of taking advantage of the poverty of certain economies to attract users in exchange for WLD tokens.
Sam Altman’s project, which has already created new uses with OpenAI, is also likely to be innovative in terms of the regulations applied. While some see it as an Orwellian nightmare, Worldcoin seems to be arousing the enthusiasm hoped for by investors. It’s sure to be one of the most dynamic fields in the coming months
