a social network that forces you to scan your iris

Sam Altman and John Ive’s AI-based device looks like it will be delayed. However, that does not mean that OpenAI has been sitting idly by. As confirmed Forbesthe startup is secretly developing his own social network. The project, led by a team of less than ten people, was born with a specific mission, namely, to definitively eradicate the bot problem which affects platforms like X. To achieve this, the company plans to implement a mandatory identity verification system based on biological data.

The proposal is based on the so-called personality test. Users would have to use the Apple Face ID or the World company Orb device to access. The latter is a scanner that analyzes the iris to generate a unique and unrepeatable code. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has previously defended the need for this system in the face of mistrust in the network.

Security risks after scanning sensitive data

The initiative has raised alarms about the data privacy sensitive. Unlike a password, the iris pattern is immutable and cannot be changed if security systems fail. Handing over such personal physiological traits to a private company poses a risk of surveillance. Experts warn that a breach could expose the permanent biological identity of millions of people.

Sam Altman has recently expressed his frustration with the current state of networks like X or Reddit, claiming that they feel fake, ironically, because of AI. The proliferation of automated accounts has fueled the theory of the dead internet, which suggests that most digital activity is no longer human. OpenAI seeks an environment of total authenticity, even if the toll is the transfer of physical features.

Despite the success of tools like ChatGPT or Sora, the path is not going to be easy or simple. OpenAI will have to compete with giants like Instagram or TikTok, which already integrate AI creation tools without requiring mandatory physical scans. In addition, public distrust towards the handling of sensitive information could slow its mass adoption. For now, the project is in an experimental phase.

The use of biometrics to access social networks marks a turning point in the industry. While OpenAI argues that it is the only way to save human interaction, proponents of digital rights questioned If the end justifies the means. Centralizing such unique and personal identifiers into a single corporation is OpenAI’s master plan. One that, by the way, sounds much more sinister than any measure Meta and company have taken so far.