Sam Altman’s vision of bots with human IDs

Author

Matt V
January 27, 2025

OPENAI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently unveiled Operator, an AI agent capable of acting independently online.

This marks a significant step for OpenAI, but it’s not the only AI-focused initiative under Altman’s leadership.

World, another project co-founded by Altman, is taking a different approach by focusing on human verification.

Previously known as Worldcoin, the project uses a silver orb to scan users’ eyes, creating a blockchain-based digital ID to prove they are human.

Now, World is looking to connect these digital IDs to AI agents, enabling verified bots to act on behalf of real people.

The project sees this as an essential development in a future where it may be hard to distinguish humans from AI online.

According to Tiago Sada, World’s chief product officer, allowing AI agents to act as verified extensions of real people could make online interactions safer and more efficient.

The key developments:

  • The world has shifted from crypto to focus on human verification but has faced controversies, including bans and regulatory scrutiny.

  • Its tools aim to license AI agents to act on behalf of verified users while reducing risks like scams, DDoS attacks, and security issues.

  • OpenAI’s Operator is already partnering with platforms like Uber and Instacart, preparing for a future where AI agents handle tasks for users online.

Proof of human? Proof of bot?

Altman’s broader ecosystem of projects, from World to OpenAI, highlights his ambition to integrate AI and human verification seamlessly.

By building tools that verify both people and their AI agents, these ventures could reshape how individuals and businesses interact online.

Platforms are starting to embrace this shift, but questions remain about how deeply World and OpenAI will eventually integrate their technologies.

Altman’s work reflects a unified vision: creating a digital environment where AI agents and human identities coexist securely and efficiently.

Human or bot? The world says, ‘Why not both?’