OpenAI Building Social Network That Scans Your Eyes to Prove You're Human

A New Approach to the Bot Problem

OpenAI is quietly developing a social network that would use biometric verification to ensure every user is a real human being. According to a Forbes report published on January 28, the AI company is exploring proof of personhood technology, including iris scanning and facial recognition, to create what sources describe as a platform where only verified humans can participate.

Small Team, Big Ambitions

A development team of fewer than ten people at OpenAI is evaluating various biometric verification methods, including Apple Face ID and the iris-scanning Orb technology from World Network. The project remains in early stages with no confirmed launch timeline, and its direction could still change as development continues.

The World Connection

World Network, formerly known as Worldcoin, is a blockchain project run by Tools for Humanity, which was co-founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. The company's Orb device scans a user's iris to create a unique digital identity credential stored on the blockchain. World claims over seventeen million users via its app, converting iris scans into privacy-preserving codes without storing raw images.

The Worldcoin cryptocurrency surged more than sixteen percent following the Forbes report, with investors reacting to the potential validation of World's core identity verification technology.

Taking Aim at Platform Bots

The initiative appears to directly target structural problems at X, formerly Twitter, where bot accounts have proliferated despite platform owner Elon Musk claiming to have removed approximately one point seven million bot accounts during twenty twenty-five. Earlier this month, X updated its API and algorithm rules to block cryptocurrency projects that financially reward posting and engagement, acknowledging that such incentives had fuelled bot activity.

Privacy Concerns Mount

Privacy advocates have raised serious concerns about biometric data collection. Critics point out that unlike passwords, biometric data cannot be changed if compromised. World has faced regulatory scrutiny in several regions including Hong Kong, Spain, Kenya, the Philippines, and Brazil over data privacy concerns, with some jurisdictions issuing outright bans on the service.