What happened?
Worldcoin, founded by Sam Altman, has officially changed its name from “Worldcoin” to “World”, but its grand goal of “expanding identity verification services” remains the same.
During the event on October 17th, Altman revealed new products and technological updates, such as the new version of the biometric device “Orb 2.0” and integration with multiple mainstream applications.
It was also announced during the event that WorldID support will be expanded to include Taiwan and Malaysia, which has sparked anticipation among many internet users in Taiwan who hope to register.
Renaming to “World”: a more concise and extensive vision for digital identity verification
The core of the World project is to allow people around the world to “prove that they are human” on the internet anonymously, rather than being robots or AI.
Worldcoin has therefore developed an identity verification system that allows users to scan their eye irises and create identity verification accounts through the silver spherical biometric device “Orb”, and issue WLD cryptocurrency and WorldID.
After the name change, World’s positioning is clearer. It not only focuses on cryptocurrency but also deeply cultivates digital identity verification, especially in preventing AI-generated fake digital identities.
During this release event, World introduced an upgraded version of “Orb 2.0”. This new device is powered by NVIDIA hardware, with computing power five times higher than its predecessor, and a more minimalist design.
Due to the smaller size of Orb 2.0 and the use of fewer parts, the device is easier to produce and can significantly increase deployment speed worldwide. Rich Heley, World’s designer, stated that the company’s goal is to deploy over 1,000 new Orbs worldwide, placing them in everyday scenes such as coffee shops, and even summoning them like ordering pizza through an application.
At the same time, World plans to open “premium verification experience” stores in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mexico City, which will be filled with Orbs to facilitate users’ identity verification.
Interestingly, these devices may also appear in some self-service stations in the future, further reducing the usage threshold and expanding the application scenarios of identity verification.
World expands identity verification methods to combat deepfake technology
In addition to hardware updates, World has also introduced new identity verification options. Through “World ID Credentials”, users with government-issued passports with NFC functionality can directly verify their identity through the World application without using the Orb biometric hardware.
This new feature not only increases the flexibility of identity verification but also accelerates the popularization of WorldID.
Furthermore, World announced the “World ID Deep Face” product and stated that it has solved the most challenging deepfake face-swapping problem. This technology allows the detection of AI forgery in videos in applications, ensuring that users are communicating with real people.
In the current rampant AI-generated content, the emergence of this technology is a significant advancement for online social and business transactions.
Currently, World’s application services have attracted 15 million users, with 7 million successfully completing verification. With the launch of these new products, this number is expected to further increase.
References:
cointelegraph, coindesk