A bizarre new technology has taken up residence inside a San Francisco Gap store: a massive, white device resembling a bowling ball-sized eyeball scanner. The device, which captures images of customers' faces to create a unique ID stored on their phones, is courtesy of billionaire Sam Altman's secretive crypto startup, World.
The company claims its intention is to provide "human verification" and bridge the gap between humans and technology. However, many are left scratching their heads at the seemingly creepy setup - after all, who needs an orb scanning faces for "verification"? The device, which is mounted on a wall in the Marina District store, gathers biometric data using a glowing orange eye.
According to World's website, its goal is to provide a "world ID" alongside an app, blockchain, and digital token. But with ambitious plans of acquiring 1 billion users - a lofty goal that has raised significant privacy concerns - it's hard not to wonder about the ethics of this technology. And what makes it even more questionable is the financial incentive being offered: in exchange for scanning their faces, customers are given the equivalent of $42 worth of cryptocurrency tokens.
It seems like no one can afford to resist the allure of World's promise of financial gain, as people from all walks of life have taken advantage of the program. Homeless individuals and those who struggle financially are being exploited, with some even reporting that they've been coerced into participating due to their vulnerability.
As it stands, regulatory challenges in Europe have stalled the expansion of this technology in several countries. Meanwhile, in North America and parts of Asia, these orbs can be found in stores like Gap, raising more questions about the true intentions behind this technology. While a World consultant claims that no extra data is collected beyond verifying human identity, it's hard not to wonder what other secrets lie beneath the surface.
With the rise of advanced technologies such as facial recognition and AI-powered surveillance, it's becoming increasingly important for consumers to know exactly how their biometric data is being used - especially in public spaces like retail stores. As the debate around this technology continues, one thing is clear: we need more answers about what World has planned for its ambitious plans, and at what cost.
The company claims its intention is to provide "human verification" and bridge the gap between humans and technology. However, many are left scratching their heads at the seemingly creepy setup - after all, who needs an orb scanning faces for "verification"? The device, which is mounted on a wall in the Marina District store, gathers biometric data using a glowing orange eye.
According to World's website, its goal is to provide a "world ID" alongside an app, blockchain, and digital token. But with ambitious plans of acquiring 1 billion users - a lofty goal that has raised significant privacy concerns - it's hard not to wonder about the ethics of this technology. And what makes it even more questionable is the financial incentive being offered: in exchange for scanning their faces, customers are given the equivalent of $42 worth of cryptocurrency tokens.
It seems like no one can afford to resist the allure of World's promise of financial gain, as people from all walks of life have taken advantage of the program. Homeless individuals and those who struggle financially are being exploited, with some even reporting that they've been coerced into participating due to their vulnerability.
As it stands, regulatory challenges in Europe have stalled the expansion of this technology in several countries. Meanwhile, in North America and parts of Asia, these orbs can be found in stores like Gap, raising more questions about the true intentions behind this technology. While a World consultant claims that no extra data is collected beyond verifying human identity, it's hard not to wonder what other secrets lie beneath the surface.
With the rise of advanced technologies such as facial recognition and AI-powered surveillance, it's becoming increasingly important for consumers to know exactly how their biometric data is being used - especially in public spaces like retail stores. As the debate around this technology continues, one thing is clear: we need more answers about what World has planned for its ambitious plans, and at what cost.
. It's like, what's the point of scanning people's faces for "human verification" anyway? And then they're offering some kind of cryptocurrency tokens as a bribe... sounds like exploitation to me 
. I get that they wanna bridge the gap between humans and tech, but at what cost? And who's really behind this thing - it's not exactly transparent 
. I just wish people would think twice about how their biometric data is being used, especially in public spaces. It's like, we gotta be aware of our own privacy here! 
I mean, who needs that kinda surveillance in a public place? It's like they're trying to sell you something but also be watching your every move...not cool 
And yeah, the fact that people are being lured in by the promise of free crypto tokens is just wild 
It's like they say: you get what you pay for, but at what cost? 
The more I think about it, the more I'm worried about our privacy and security in this digital age 
. I mean, who needs an orb scanning their face just to get some free crypto tokens? 
. As a consumer, it's our right to know what's going on with our biometric info and how it's being used 
. We need more transparency and accountability from companies like World 
.
. And the fact that people are being coerced into participating due to financial struggles is just disgusting 
. This tech needs to be shut down ASAP 
.
It's just not right that those struggling financially are being taken advantage of to get these rewards... it's like they're being exploited 
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Who needs a face scanner just to get some crypto tokens? It sounds like they're taking advantage of people who are already struggling 
. Like, what's up with the homeless folks getting coerced into participating? That's not right at all 
. And don't even get me started on the ethics of storing that much biometric data... it's just too much for me to wrap my head around 
. We need more transparency and regulation around this stuff, imo. Can't just let companies run wild with our biometric data without some serious oversight 
we need more transparency about how our biometric data is being used esp in public spaces. this tech needs 2 be held accountable for its intentions 
. I mean, who needs a giant orb scanning their face every time they go shopping? And what's with the cryptocurrency tokens as an incentive? It's like they're saying "hey, come scan your face and get some cash"... but at what cost to our personal data? 
. I think we need more transparency around how this tech is being used, especially in public spaces like stores. We should be able to trust that our biometric data is being handled responsibly 
.
And what's with the $42 in crypto tokens? That sounds like too good to be true... especially for homeless folks who need help more than financial gain 
. I'm not sure about the "human verification" claim either - what exactly are they going to verify, your humanity? 
It just seems like a way to collect more data and profit off people's personal info 
it makes me so uncomfortable. we need more regulation on this kind of tech ASAP...it's just not right that they're prioritizin profits over ppl's privacy 
Not cool, World. Not cool at all. 
. And the fact that they're giving out crypto tokens just to use their face scanner? It's like, hello! You can't even afford a sandwich without them taking your info 
. Who gives away free cash just to scan their face? It sounds too good (and bad) to be true 
. I'm all for innovation and progress, but when it comes to tech like this, we need to have a lot more transparency and accountability 
. Otherwise, we're just creating a whole new set of problems that'll be hard to solve 
.