A new biometric ID system tied to Sam Altman is spreading fast, which is bad news for privacy but seen as useful in an AI-flooded world.

• Sam Altman's company is deploying a device called the Orb that scans your iris to create a permanent biometric signature.
• In exchange, users get a World ID, a digital proof they are a real human and not an AI bot.
• Over 18 million people have already signed up voluntarily.
• The push is driven by a real problem: as AI and bots flood the internet, there is no easy way to prove you are a real person.
• Critics see this as the start of a digital control grid, since iris data is unique and cannot be changed if leaked or misused.

Outlook: Adoption will likely keep growing fast as AI makes online human verification harder, raising bigger fights over biometric privacy.