Does Worldcoin need to be reassessed? Understanding Ultraman’s encrypted AI-UBI experiment

Reevaluating Worldcoin Decrypting Ultraman's AI-UBI Experiment

Author: Daniel Kuhn, Coindesk Translation: Shan Ou Ba, LianGuai

The tech industry is going through a turmoil, and cryptocurrency is part of it. Last Friday, OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman was unceremoniously dismissed. The organization’s board initially used strong language in announcing the firing, as OpenAI was originally established as a non-profit organization but later added a for-profit division led by Altman.

Apparently, Altman was “inconsistent in communication with the board.” With little other commentary, speculation has arisen. OpenAI is a company that develops various AI tools, including the fastest growing application ChatGPT, often referred to as the “most important startup in the world.”

The Relationship Between Microsoft and Wordcoin

Like almost every other industry, the crypto industry has been exploring the field of artificial intelligence. This emerging technology is predicted to change the way developers build and audit applications, traders devise investment portfolios, and users interact with all of it. And one of the most significant AI-driven projects in the crypto space, Worldcoin, is connected to Altman.

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Worldcoin, a universal digital identity protocol built by Altman’s co-founded company called Tools for Humanity, experienced a token plunge when the news was announced. Now, with Altman being poached by Microsoft to lead their internal AI research, Worldcoin’s token has risen by double digits, making for a compelling vote of confidence, especially at a time when the details behind the firing are not fully disclosed.

This is also a signal that when Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI, they were investing in Altman. In many ways, Worldcoin speculators are also betting on this AI pioneer. While OpenAI and Worldcoin are completely separate entities, they share a close resemblance besides Altman (no reason to believe Microsoft will have any dealings with WRD).

Both artificial intelligence and the crypto-based Universal Basic Income (UBI) being built by Worldcoin are fundamentally unproven technologies. They both have similar skeptics–though some enthusiasts in the distance–who believe these technologies could independently tear society apart. They are grand goals aimed at propelling all of humanity forward.

Worldcoin’s Ambition

Worldcoin has largely been subject to unfair attacks. When announced in 2019, the project had a dystopian hue that shocked the world. It was not only founded by a man many believed could become the world’s first trillionaire (building an island bunker) but also used a metal ball called “Orb” to scan people’s irises in its World ID system. It sounded straight out of science fiction.

Putting aside the present circumstances, there are many aspects of this project worth paying attention to. Some of the smartest people I know in the tech industry are fascinated by what is actually being built. Worldcoin’s developers are researching zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptographic solutions for more secure biometric scans. No one has been able to persistently build personal identities online. Although the project’s leadership, including CEO Alex Blania, sometimes speaks in a low-key manner.

Worldcoin could eventually become a costly mistake, just like any other startup company. But when evaluating a company, it’s important to differentiate between substance and aesthetics. As noted by renowned economist/blogger Tyler Cowen, most discussions about Worldcoin are just “emotional associations” – people say what they think others want to hear.

For example, it’s entirely possible that all the people I know who like Worldcoin simply appreciate the idea of a project designed to counteract the potential (or eventual) submergence of humanity by independently-created AI-generated identities, real or fake… because they take Isaac Asimov too seriously.

Altman’s Connection to Worldcoin

Altman, known primarily for leading the highly successful startup incubator Y Combinator when Worldcoin was announced, experienced a surge in popularity after becoming the face of OpenAI. And even after his dismissal, his status seemed to only grow.

He’s also quite controversial. Some call Altman a “tech prodigy” and one of Silicon Valley’s greatest fundraisers. Others say he’s a “failed elite.” His tech startup Loopt didn’t achieve success, but he exited with a price tag of $43 million. Y Combinator flourished under Altman’s leadership as president, but reportedly lost its soul. During his brief tenure as CEO of Reddit in 2014, he lasted less than Scaramucci.

He is also believed to be involved in launching a chip foundry in collaboration with controversial investors from the Middle East and China to compete with NVIDIA. He is the largest shareholder in Humane AI, a company building a non-smartphone mobile artificial intelligence “puck,” but has shown little interest in its rollout.

In other words, Altman’s connection to Worldcoin is an intriguing question, but the likelihood of his involvement is zero. Other factors, such as privacy concerns raised by the Kenyan government, hiring issues highlighted by MIT Technology Review, and worries about the system’s proprietary technology, are more prominent. For instance, citizen journalists attempted to audit (aka “decentralized audit”) Orb, with limited success.

Technology is at a transitional moment, which is no secret. The so-called “tech criticism” is waning, in part because the promises of AI nowadays seem revolutionary – whereas at this time last year, the technology seemed almost impractical. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and deserve scrutiny. Some tech experts see Altman as a symbol of progress and are even unwilling to wait 30 days for the new interim CEO of OpenAI to conduct an internal review of Altman’s dismissal before joining his camp.

At this moment, Worldcoin can be seen as an imperfect barometer of the currents of competing tech enthusiasts and tech skeptics within society. Before deciding whether to like or dislike this “Orb,” or even before investing, take a look at what it can actually do.

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