Worldcoin | What is Sam Altman’s biometric project, and how does it work in India?

The story so far: On July 24, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to Twitter to formally re-introduce Worldcoin, a project of his that was eclipsed by the popularity of ChatGPT. Worldcoin claims it is building the “world’s largest identity and financial public network” open to people worldwide. Using a device called “Orb,” Worldcoin volunteers known as ‘Orb operators’ scan a person’s iris pattern to collect their biometric data and help them get a World ID through the World app. Back in 2021, Altman defended the concept of Worldcoin but admitted that he did not predict the “visceral reaction to using biometrics” for verifying people’s identities. Worldcoin lists 18 locations — largely in Delhi, Noida, and Bangalore — where Orb operators are scanning people’s eyes.