World, the project backed by Sam Altman, has launched its long-anticipated “super app,” combining end-to-end encrypted messaging on par with Signal and crypto payments similar to Venmo — all tied together through its controversial iris-scanning identity verification system. The core idea behind the project is to combat AI-generated fake identities and online impersonation by proving that a user is, in fact, human.
The new World Chat feature offers end-to-end encryption, along with visual indicators showing whether a contact has been verified via the Orb iris-scanning device. Alongside messaging, the app includes a crypto wallet that supports salary payments, bank transfers, and conversion into cryptocurrencies. Notably, identity verification is not required to use the financial features.
The “super app” strategy aims to push adoption beyond the current base of around 20 million verified users — still far from Altman’s ambition of reaching one billion people. The key question is whether users will be willing to trade biometric data for digital trust. Without reaching critical mass, the vision of a global “proof-of-humanity” system may remain an intriguing but niche experiment.
In Brief: Tech World Highlights
- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov launched Cocoon, a decentralized compute network that allows GPU owners to earn TON tokens by providing private AI processing, challenging traditional cloud providers.
- Sunday Robotics hired at least 10 former Tesla employees — including veterans from the Optimus and Autopilot teams — to help launch its Memo home robot.
- Waves of startups from the Bay Area and secretive divisions of major tech companies are reportedly shifting away from humanoid robots toward “Pixar-like” designs: compact, expressive robots on wheels.
- Robotic surgery, already a multi-billion-dollar global market, is expected to nearly double by 2029, according to a new report from MassDevice Intelligence.
- Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the company plans to introduce humanoid robots across all its factories within five years, using AI-driven automation to boost efficiency.
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