Sam Altman’s ‘human verification’ company thinks its eye-scanning orbs could solve ticket scalping


,Among them, is a new tool called Concert Kit that could help bands and artists fight back against ticket scalping bots.

The new feature relies on the revamped World ID, the orb-based verification system that scans users eyeballs and faces to create a “proof of human” signature that lives on users’ mobile devices. “It’s basically like a little human passport for the internet that lets you prove on apps and websites that you are a real and unique human without revealing anything about yourself,” Tools for Humanity Chief Product Officer Tiago Sada tells Engadget.

Now, as more apps and services are starting to support World ID, that “human passport” can unlock some new abilities. Coupled with Concert Kit, it allows artists to designate a specific pool of tickets for “verified” humans only. The concept is a bit like how pre-sales currently work, with artists (or their teams) setting aside a specific number of tickets for people who have set up a World ID. Those folks can then use their World ID to get ticket codes for Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, AXS or other major ticketing platforms.

Because World ID is limited to actual, “verified,” humans the system won’t be susceptible to the same tactics that have enabled bots to ruin the ticket-buying process for so many, Tools for Humanity says. Artists are also in control of what level of verification they want to require from their fans. (The new World ID app will also allow people to set up an account with a selfie check if they don’t have ready access to an orb.)

Just how much of a dent Concert Kit will be able to make in the massive scalping bot problem that plagues the concert industry is less clear. So far, Bruno Mars is slated to use the solution on his upcoming world tour — no word on just how many of his tickets will be reserved for World ID-verified humans, though — and Concert Kit is available to other artists starting today.

Concert Kit is one of several new integrations and updates to World ID that Tools for Humanity announced at an event in San Francisco Friday. Tinder, which earlier this year started testing World ID as an age verification solution in Japan, will be rolling out support worldwide. In the US, Tinder’s integration won’t be for age verification, though. Instead, it will indicate whether there is an actual “verified” human behind a given profile.

Tinder profiles that verify with World ID will get a badge as an extra signal of authenticity.

Tinder profiles that verify with World ID will get a badge as an extra signal of authenticity. (Tools for Humanity)

On the enterprise side, Zoom and DocuSign are also adding support for World ID to help businesses verify that there is an actual person (and not a deepfake or bot) joining their video calls or signing important documents. Tools for Humanity is also introducing a standalone app for World ID that separates its identity verification tools from its existing crypto wallet app.

The updates are Tools for Humanity’s latest attempt to make their orb-based verification system, which has been widely mocked, more mainstream and perhaps a little less dystopian. (Elsewhere, orbs have begun appearing in some new places like a San Francisco Gap.)

On their part, Tools for Humanity seems aware that a lot of people aren’t ready to scan their faces at a bunch of orbs controlled by Altman just to “prove” they are humans. I asked Sada, Tools for Humanity’s Chief Product Officer, what he would say to people who think that the company is solving for the wrong problem: that really it should be up to ticketing platforms and dating apps and other services to strengthen their security and bot-fighting tools, rather than rely on their users to “prove” their humanness.

He said it was a “completely understandable question” and compared it to some people’s initial discomfort with things like Apple’s TouchID or FaceID. “Not everyone has to do it upfront, and that’s important,” he said. “It’s optional. If you want to have a World ID, you get access to that enhanced experience.”



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Man with @ihackedthegovernment Instagram account tells judge, “I made a mistake”

    “Moore intentionally accessed the Supreme Court’s electronic filing system without authorization using the stolen credentials of an authorized user (‘GS’) on 25 different days, sometimes returning to the site multiple…

    OpenAI Executive Kevin Weil Is Leaving the Company

    Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s former chief product officer who was recently tapped to build a new AI workspace for scientists, Prism, is leaving the company, WIRED has confirmed. Weil was previously…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Former Wisconsin man sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for illegal campaign contributions

    Former Wisconsin man sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for illegal campaign contributions

    Boeing announces $36M for research and development at Winnipeg facility

    Boeing announces $36M for research and development at Winnipeg facility

    Afternoon front page: Canada pays the price for Liberals’ bad judgment; reassessing gender care; and more

    Speculation swirls around deaths and disappearances of staff at secretive government laboratories. Here’s what we know.

    Speculation swirls around deaths and disappearances of staff at secretive government laboratories. Here’s what we know.

    Notre Dame women’s basketball loses key veteran to transfer portal

    Notre Dame women’s basketball loses key veteran to transfer portal

    Textile Reuse Isn’t Broken, But the Narrative Around It Is

    Textile Reuse Isn’t Broken, But the Narrative Around It Is