News Summary

Sam Altman’s startup, Tools for Humanity, is set to expand its iris-scanning technology, World, into the United States starting May 1. The company plans to launch a phone-like hardware device by next year, along with a World-branded debit card, aiming to develop a ‘super app.’ The app, combined with a new, smaller eye-scanning orb, will help verify user identities by scanning irises and storing the information on a blockchain, a process designed to thwart scammers globally. Despite scrutiny over its biometric data policies, the startup has been backed by prominent investors and raised $240 million in venture capital. World plans to establish 7,500 orbs across various U.S. cities, including San Francisco, by the end of the year, with scanning sites potentially expanding to cafes and college campuses. An Orb assembly line is being established in Richardson, Texas, with plans to scale up production.