The Big Story
The ChatGPT guy wants to scan your eyeball with an orb. What could go wrong? artwork

The ChatGPT guy wants to scan your eyeball with an orb. What could go wrong?

The Big Story
E83319:36
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Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, has co-founded a cryptocurrency project called Worldcoin, which is currently scanning people's eyeballs using an orb and digitizing their irises for use as identification. Currently more than 1.8 million people have had their irises scanned in exchange for the promise of some Worldcoin later (it doesn't exist yet), local currency, or small gifts. This is taking place mostly in poorer countries, but not in the US or Canada, where regulations discourage things like collecting people's irises for some vaguely-defined future use. If this all sounds incredibly strange to you, you're not alone. So what the heck is going on here? GUEST: Jacob Silverman, co-author of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, host of The Naked Emperor. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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