Sam Altman's World will help Zoom verify humans in meetings
What's the story
Zoom has announced a partnership with World, Sam Altman's human ID verification company. The collaboration aims to ensure that participants in Zoom meetings are real humans and not AI-generated imposters. The move comes amid growing concerns over deepfake-enabled frauds, which have caused financial losses exceeding $200 million in just the first quarter of last year.
Business threat
Deepfake frauds in video calls
Deepfake video-call frauds may not be a personal experience for many, but they pose a major risk for businesses, particularly those involved in high-value transactions over video. The most notorious case was in early 2024 when engineering firm Arup lost $25 million after an employee in Hong Kong was duped by an AI-generated deepfake impersonating the company's CFO and colleagues. A similar attack targeted a multinational firm in Singapore in 2025.
Detection techniques
Detection methods and new partnership
Currently, the methods to detect deepfakes in meetings are limited to spotting signs of AI manipulation in video frames. However, Zoom and World have said that these frame-by-frame detection methods are becoming less reliable as video models improve. This is where World's World ID Deep Face tech comes into play, offering a more robust solution for verifying participants' identities during Zoom meetings.
Verification process
How does World's tech work?
World's World ID Deep Face technology employs a three-pronged approach to verify participants' identities. It compares a signed image taken at the time of user registration via World's Orb device, a real-time face scan from the user's device, and also a live video frame visible to other meeting participants. Only when all three match does it confirm someone's identity, displaying a "Verified Human" badge on their title.
Enhanced security
Zoom's take on the integration
Zoom hosts can now enable a Deep Face waiting room, requiring all participants to verify their identity. Participants also have the option to request on-the-spot verification during a call. This integration is part of Zoom's open ecosystem approach, giving customers more ways to build trust into their workflows based on what matters most for their use case, said Travis Isaman, a spokesperson for Zoom.