World caps landmark year as it aims to define ‘human’ in the context of AI

Proof of Personhood (PoP) is a concept that’s set to enter the mainstream in 2025. Several firms, including Civic, Humanity Protocol and World, have emerged to offer options in the market for verifying the quality of “humanness.”
Exactly what it will be called, however, is still up in the air.
World, which operates the World ID digital network and uses iris biometrics as its modality of choice for PoP, took a major leap in 2024. Notably, it underwent a major rebrand intended to take the focus off its roots in cryptocurrency and to clarify its intention to register everyone on earth for a World ID.
A year-in-review blog from the company calls 2024 “a landmark year for World Network, which has grown to over 20 million participants including 9,678,662 verified humans.” Its “tremendous growth” was “thanks to new global launches, new ways to access the network and more useful World ID applications.”
Trying to make ‘proof of human’ a thing
In the wake of a live streamed launch event in October 2024 (“A New World”), the firm has been pushing the term “proof of human” in its branding. As explained in another recent blog from the company, “proof of human, also known as proof of personhood, is a process aimed at verifying that a digital action or account belongs to a real, unique, living human rather than a bot, AI or automated system.”
In essence, people are feeling (rightfully) nervous about AI, which has seen adoption and popular cultural penetration skyrocket since the launch of ChatGPT by Sam Altman’s AI firm, Open AI. The news is filled with predictions on how AI agents will be the tool of 2025 – not to mention illustrations of our growing understanding of the ecological costs of AI.
Rather than dial back the AI-O-Meter, Altman is capitalizing that anxiety with World (he is a co-founder) by offering “a counterpart to advanced AI, one that allows them to know who is or what has been created by a verified human online.”
Proof, perhaps, of human presence, human agency, a human soul – but surely, something with a proper grammatical object?
Firm clears the air on use of iris biometrics
While World has grand ambitions, it has found itself occasionally mired in regulatory kerfuffles across the globe. A few countries have banned its activities, while others have issued temporary suspensions. A recent ruling in Germany that its activities violate the GDPR will present more problems in Europe. The issue is usually to do with the language of consent and clarity of purpose in its collection of biometrics.
Perhaps in response, its World Help Centre offers the following explanation: “Biometrics are the most accurate way to prove that someone is a unique, living human being. When acquired and used in a responsible and privacy-preserving way, biometrics can be a powerful and inclusive tool – one that empowers individuals to take ownership of their identity and keeps our goods and institutions secure.”
On iris biometrics specifically, it says “our research showed that iris scanning offers the most accurate biometrics with an acceptable user experience. The iris has strong fraud resistance and data richness, which means it can be used as a fair and inclusive way to differentiate among billions of unique human beings.”
World – which now also offers a wallet, blockchain and digital credentials – says its biometrics and digital ID project can help solve challenges facing humankind in the AI era. It will increase trust online as bots proliferate. It will prevent online fraud and cybercrime amplified by the availability of generative AI and deepfakes. And it will provide “the foundation for safe, secure and decentralized digital identity.”
“An Orb-verified World ID helps anonymously ensure World Network members are real and unique humans,” says the blog, referring to the metallic sphere used to scan iris biometrics in exchange for World’s crypto tokens. “This includes cutting edge cryptography and personal custody features to ensure their data is always private, secure and only controlled by the individual.”
There was an old lady who swallowed AI
Silicon Valley has been most adept at convincing us of the necessity of its inventions, then turning that into reality. Computers were lines of code before they turned into Windows; phones were for calling people before they were for mobile digital identity verification. The appearance of embedded social posts in digital news articles marked a shift in the power balance of news; fast forward to 2025, as the owner of what’s left of Twitter is preparing to take a seat at the White House.
Now, AI is everywhere, with social platforms promising more on the near horizon. Citing a crisis of trust amid the AI invasion, World is touting its capacity to arbitrate the humanity of every person against every algorithm.
Presumably, Sam Altman could make the problem simpler by turning off ChatGPT for a while. But, just two years since its launch, have we already collectively decided that we need it too much to give up? If so, what have we traded in exchange? The answers, after all, are moot: Mr. Altman is unlikely to jump in front of the boulder he has set to rolling.
Language is a tell. Perhaps by contorting the essence of being alive and conscious into the nonsensical “proof of human,” World is aiming to redefine how we talk about who we are. Regardless of what it claims, whether that’s necessary is still a matter of opinion.
Article Topics
biometrics | digital ID | iris biometrics | proof of personhood | World | World App | World ID Orb
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