Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Project ‘World’ Launches in Six US Cities

World, the iris-scanning venture co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Alex Blania, officially launched operations in the United States on Thursday. According to a CNBC report, the company, formerly known as Worldcoin, opened six dedicated retail locations across major cities. They include Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami, and San Francisco, where individuals can enroll by having their irises scanned.  The move marks a significant expansion of the company’s identity verification system after a series of international trials and controversies. NVIDIA technology powers the biometric Orbs that will be stationed at selected sites across the cities. These devices will also be available at partner outlets, including select Razer retail stores. High-Profile Collaborations Revealed  The company’s U.S. debut was preceded by an event held Wednesday evening in San Francisco’s Fort Mason. At the event, the leadership introduced new partnerships. Visa plans to roll out a World-branded payment card this summer, which will only be available to users who complete an iris scan with World. In addition, Match Group is preparing to integrate the system into a pilot project for Tinder in Japan, testing its use in age verification and digital identity. Per CNBC, the event also featured a live demonstration of the technology, including how to link the iris-scanning Orb to a smartphone. A presenter had to remove his glasses during the process to ensure facial visibility, demonstrating the Orb’s sensitivity to facial features during scans.  Ongoing Data Privacy Scrutiny While expanding operations in the U.S., the company continues to face scrutiny regarding data privacy practices. Regulators in regions such as Brazil and Hong Kong previously initiated investigations into the platform’s collection and storage of biometric data, including facial and iris images. In response to such concerns, the company introduced the option for users to permanently delete their unique iris codes, allowing for a complete reversal of verification. The platform retains some user data for fraud prevention. The stored data is reportedly used to detect duplicate scans or efforts to bypass the verification system. Project backers and internal sources maintain that this data is decentralized and cannot be reconstructed, distinguishing it from anonymized data sets that can sometimes be traced back to individuals.