# World’s Orb Mini: Sam Altman’s Answer to AI Impersonation Arrives in Mobile Form

## World’s Orb Mini: Sam Altman’s Answer to AI Impersonation Arrives in Mobile Form

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, the line between human and AI online becomes increasingly blurred. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is betting on a future where proving your humanity will be essential. His project, World, is tackling this challenge head-on, unveiling its latest tool: the Orb Mini, a mobile device designed to verify human identity.

Tools for Humanity, the startup behind World (formerly known as Worldcoin), presented the Orb Mini at its “At Last” event in San Francisco on Wednesday. This smartphone-like device features two prominent sensors on its front, designed to scan a user’s irises. Rich Heley, Chief Device Officer at Tools for Humanity and a former Apple director, spearheaded the device’s development.

The core idea behind World is to create a digital “proof of human” system. Once a user’s eyeballs are scanned by an Orb, they receive a unique identifier on the blockchain, serving as verification of their human status. The Orb Mini aims to make this verification process more accessible.

According to a Tools for Humanity spokesperson, the Orb Mini is designed to be portable, taking inspiration from the larger, stationary Orb devices. Former Apple designer Thomas Meyerhoff also contributed to the design, sources say. While its primary function is verification, the ultimate functionality of the device remains somewhat ambiguous. Alex Blania, co-founder of World, envisions the Orb Mini eventually evolving into a mobile point-of-sale system or even licensing its sensor technology to other device manufacturers.

Alongside the Orb Mini announcement, Tools for Humanity is also launching its World Network in the United States. Storefronts are scheduled to open in major cities including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. These locations will provide users with access to the original Orb devices for iris scanning and verification.

World reports a global user base of 26 million sign-ups, with 12 million individuals verified. While the project has seen significant traction in Latin America, South America, and Asia, this latest push aims to expand its presence within the U.S.

The introduction of the Orb Mini signals a strategic move towards broader distribution of World’s verification technology. While World’s ambitions have evolved over time, the Orb itself remains central to its mission.

The relationship between World and Altman’s other venture, OpenAI, remains a subject of speculation. It’s unclear whether the Orb Mini will incorporate any AI capabilities or tie into the AI hardware OpenAI is reportedly developing.