World, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identification project, raised $135 million from venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto, the company said in an announcement.
The capital will be used to expand World’s network of iris-scanning orbs and infrastructure in the United States, where the company said in April it would operate in six cities, and increase coverage around the globe, according to the announcement.
More than 12.5 million individuals in over 160 jurisdictions have been issued a World ID, the company said.
The project, which collects biometric data from individuals to establish “proof of personhood,” faces regulatory headwinds and bans in several countries. Critics of the project say that offering financial incentives for biometric data violates informed consent, sparking a debate about the ethics of centralized digital ID systems and data privacy.
Major components of an iris-scanning World orb visualized. Source: World
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