Altman's new project will link AI agents with digital identity
What's the story
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has unveiled a new initiative called Operator. It is the company's first AI agent capable of acting independently on the web. Along with OpenAI, Altman is also working on another project called World. The venture aims to create tools that connect specific AI agents with people's online identities, enabling other users to verify that an agent is acting on someone's behalf.
Digital verification
Mission to create 'proof of human' tools
World, a web3 project co-founded by Altman and Alex Blania's Tools for Humanity, is founded on the premise that it will eventually be impossible to tell humans apart from AI agents online. To solve this problem, World, formerly known as Worldcoin, wants to create digital "proof of human" tools. These would give users a unique identifier on the blockchain after scanning their eyeball with a silver metal orb, confirming their humanity.
Project evolution
Shift from crypto to human verification
Known for its strategic shifts and controversies, Tools for Humanity initially launched World as a cryptocurrency project. However, after facing temporary bans in some countries and being ordered to allow Europeans to delete their biometric data upon request, the project has shifted its focus. In October, it dropped "coin" from its name to indicate a greater emphasis on human verification rather than cryptocurrency.
Tech application
ID technology could be used for licensing AI agents
World's Chief Product Officer, Tiago Sada, believes verifying AI agents to act on behalf of people is a critical and logical step for the project. Speaking to TechCrunch, he said delegating your "proof of personhood" to an agent and letting it act on your behalf is super important. Sada also hinted World's ID tech could be used to license AI agents to represent people online.
Tool expansion
Expanding tools to verify 'digital actions'
World is expanding its arsenal to verify "digital actions" tied to a person, even if they didn't come from their account. The project expects its AI tools to be critical in 2025. However, Sada said the company will "need to see" if any of these tools require linking AI agents to individuals.
Business impact
World's tools could help businesses serve more users
Sada believes businesses might rethink their permissions to let certain AI agents use their services. "There's certain apps where it doesn't matter if an actual person is using it...At the end of the day, businesses want to sell more. They want to serve more users," he said. This comes after early adopters of Operator found several websites blocked it by default. OpenAI has signed deals with Uber, Instacart, and DoorDash to allow its new Operator agent to use their platforms.