The creator of the hugely popular AI bot ChatGPT has launched a controversial project that offers users a free share of cryptocurrency in exchange for their biometric data. Nearly four years after founding Worldcoin, OpenAI boss Sam Altman announced on Monday that the crypto wallet and app is now available in countries where it is not banned for regulatory or legal reasons. More than 1.5 million people signed up to the venture prior to its official launch, each receiving a share of Worldcoin tokens in exchange for scanning their iris using a silver orb developed by the startup. The biometric data was used to verify each individual’s “unique personhood” and ensure that no one signed up more than once. Each person will now be able to use the Worldcoin token, which is currently valued at $2.59 (£2), according to CoinMarketCap, having begun trading on Monday just below $2. Worldcoin (WLD) is similar to other cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, in that it uses blockchain technology to enable digital transactions. According to its website, people can use it for “remittances, [to] tip artists, [and] buy and sell goods and services”. The main differentiator is the way that users sign up, with privacy advocates warning that it could lead to a black market of people’s iris scans. Worldcoin has defended its technology by claiming that its orb is only used to check that a person is unique and has not signed up before. The startup’s website states: “We don’t want to know who you are, just that you are unique”. Worldcoin co-founder Alex Blania wrote in a note published on Monday that he believed Worldcoin “could drastically increase economic opportunity, scale a reliable solution for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy, enable democratic processes, and eventually show a potential path to AI-funded universal basic income.” He added: “Worldcoin is an attempt at global scale alignment, the journey will be challenging and outcome is uncertain. But finding new ways to broadly share the coming technological prosperity is a critical challenge of our time.” Worldcoin does not list the countries in which it operates – The Independent has reached out for further information – though it is not yet available in Mr Altman’s native US. The startup founder was only able to sign up himself on a trip to Europe earlier this year. “Like any really ambitious project, maybe it works out and maybe it doesn’t, but trying stuff like this is how progress happens,” Mr Altman tweeted following Worldcoin’s launch. “In either case, we especially love our haters, it gives us energy, please keep it coming.” Read More What is superintelligence? How AI could wipe out humanity – and why the boss of ChatGPT is doomsday prepping How bad is bitcoin for the environment really? Crypto experts discuss bitcoin price predictions What is Solana? The crypto rising 200-times faster than bitcoin

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ChatGPT creator OpenAI has updated its company’s core values, replacing words like “thoughtful” and “collaborative” with “intense and scrappy”. The AI firm’s values, published on a careers page of its website, were changed between 25 September and 16 October, according to a screenshot captured by the Internet Archive. The top value is listed as “AGI focus”, referring to artificial general intelligence that is considered to be at the same level or greater than human-level intelligence. “We are committed to building safe, beneficial AGI that will have a massive positive impact on humanity’s future. Anything that doesn’t help with that is out of scope,” the new values state. The Independent has reached out to OpenAI for comment on whether the move signals a shift in company direction. The update, first spotted by Business Insider, comes amid an industry-wide push towards the development of AGI, with some academics and experts accelerating their timelines for it being achieved since the launch of ChatGPT last year. Forecasts suggest that the arrival of AGI could be hugely destabilising for the global economy, with some even warning that it could pose an existential threat to humanity. Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom, based at Oxford University, previously warned that the arrival of AGI would precede so-called superintelligence, whereby computer intelligence surpasses human intelligence and AI development becomes uncontrollable and irreversible. In one thought experiment involving a rogue AI, Mr Bostrom wrote: “The AI will realise quickly that it would be much better if there were no humans because humans might decide to switch it off.” OpenAI has consistently called for a careful approach to the development of such technology, arguing that it could have profound implications for society, like curing diseases and turbocharging the economy. Last month, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman wrote in a post on Reddit that his company had achieved AGI “internally”, however he later claimed that it was just a joke. “Obviously this is just memeing, y’all have no chill, when AGI is achieved it will not be announced with a Reddit comment,” he wrote. Read More The mystery AI device that could replace your phone The mystery AI device that could replace your phone Elon Musk’s X may charge some users $1 a year to post on platform Apple just released a new Pencil after days of excitement

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