Hustler Words – Tools for Humanity, the Sam Altman-backed startup behind the Worldcoin project (formerly known as World), unveiled the Orb Mini on Wednesday. This sleek, smartphone-like device, boasting dual front-facing cameras for iris scanning, aims to revolutionize human verification in the digital age. The announcement, made during the "At Last" event in San Francisco, marks a significant step in World’s ambitious goal of distinguishing humans from increasingly sophisticated AI.
Designed by former Apple executives Rich Heley (Chief Device Officer) and Thomas Meyerhoff, the Orb Mini represents a more portable and accessible alternative to the company’s larger Orb devices. While its primary function is straightforward—verifying human identity via iris scans and providing a unique blockchain identifier—the device’s future capabilities remain somewhat shrouded in mystery. A spokesperson for Tools for Humanity, in a briefing with hustlerwords.com, hinted at potential future functionalities beyond simple verification, although specifics remain undisclosed.
This launch coincides with the expansion of World’s network into the U.S., with new storefronts opening in major cities including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. These physical locations will allow users to undergo the iris scanning process using the larger Orb devices. The company boasts an impressive 26 million sign-ups globally, with 12 million users already verified, primarily concentrated in Latin America, South America, and Asia. The U.S. expansion signals a significant push to broaden the project’s reach.
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The Orb Mini’s development raises intriguing questions about the future intersection of human verification and AI. While Tools for Humanity remains tight-lipped about the device’s potential AI integration, the possibility of a future partnership with Altman’s OpenAI, and the implications for their respective AI projects, remains a topic of considerable speculation. The Orb Mini, therefore, is not just a verification tool; it’s a potential glimpse into a future where distinguishing human from machine becomes increasingly crucial.
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