Sam Altman’s World Expands AI Verification Services With Zoom and Financial Firms

World, the biometric verification startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is expanding its identity-verification services through partnerships with Zoom and major financial firms. Its technology uses an orb-shaped device called the Orb to scan a person’s iris and create an encrypted identity record. The company’s World ID system aims to help organisations distinguish genuine people from bots and AI-generated impersonations. Under the Zoom integration, verified participants will be able to display a blue badge indicating that they have been verified as real, unique humans. Organisations can decide when this additional verification is necessary, particularly for sensitive meetings and high-stakes discussions.

World has also partnered with financial and technology firms, including Bain Capital, OpenExchange, Outtake, Pantera Capital and VanEck Funds, to introduce World ID for Agents. The service is designed to help institutions identify AI agents and establish a link to the people who authorise them to perform tasks. World says its verification options include checks based on government-issued documents, selfies and Orb-based iris scans. The company maintains that its encrypted system is designed to protect users’ privacy, although biometric verification has also raised concerns about data protection and the wider use of eye-scanning technology. As AI agents and deepfake scams become more sophisticated, World is seeking to make human verification more widely available across online services.