NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Hey, Are You Really A Human? Prove It.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), has launched a futuristic project in the US called World, a system designed to prove you’re human. Think of it as a global passport, not to show citizenship, but to confirm you’re not an AI.

The New Burden of “Proof of Personhood”
Altman’s core argument is this: as AI-generated content and AI bots floods the internet, we’re going to need a way to verify human identity online.

Here’s how it works:

• Altman’s project uses Orb, a futuristic eye-scanning device, that scans your iris to create a unique digital ID (see picture above).

• Your biometric data is encrypted and, according to the company, deleted from the Orb after use. Your iris scan is stored as an encrypted code on your phone which you can access via the World app.

• Users receive a small crypto reward (WLD token) for signing up, and can use their World ID for logins on platforms like Reddit, Discord, and even Tinder (for age verification in Japan).

Over 12 million people have scanned their biometrics with the Orb, many from lower-income countries drawn by the promise of free crypto, a move one critic described as “technological colonialism.”

Here’s my take: Altman is right that it will be confusing to tell who's human and not in a world of hyper-realistic AI agents that look and talk exactly like us. But I’m not convinced that I can trust a private company like I would trust the government with my biometric data.

What about data security? Informed consent? The risk of exploitation? I’ll need more persuading. 🤨

Here’s a 7.40min YouTube video by Verge on the project and the launch party in San Francisco.

Thailand Wants to Teach AI to 10 Million People

Thailand has become the latest country to launch a government-led push to expand AI skills at scale.

At the first meeting of Thailand’s new National AI Committee, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra laid out an ambitious goal: teach AI literacy to 10 million people and train 90,000 AI professionals and 50,000 developers within the next two years.

(Thailand’s population in 2025 is about 65 million, with a median age of 40.6–41.5 years, reflecting an aging society).

Here’s how they plan to do it:

• Build national infrastructure including cloud systems, data centers, and AI computing capacity, with at least $15 billion in investment from both public and private sectors.

• Promote open-source AI tools and create a national data bank that combines useful datasets from across industries to support more local development.

• Work with businesses to apply AI in high-impact areas like healthcare, agriculture, and tourism—sectors that could benefit from better data, automation, and decision-making.

The push is part of Thailand’s broader goal to modernize its economy and workforce, ensuring it can compete in a region where countries like Singapore and China are already moving fast on AI.

It’s also about economic opportunity. More efficient farming, personalized healthcare, and smarter tourism services could help Thailand boost productivity and revenue in sectors that matter most. By developing local talent and infrastructure, the country hopes to reduce dependence on imported tech and become a regional player in the AI space.

If things go according to plan, all Thai government agencies will go fully digital by 2026.

Don’t Know How to Invest? Just Copy Someone Who Does

Investing can feel intimidating—especially when you’re just starting out. What should you buy? When should you sell? And who really knows what they’re doing?

That’s the problem Dub aims to solve. Built with Gen Z in mind, the app lets users copy the trades of more experienced investors like billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. For $10 a month, subscribers can mirror curated portfolios in real time—no finance degree required.

The company just raised $30 million to accelerate its growth, with backing from firms like Notable Capital and Neo. Dub was founded by 23-year-old Harvard dropout Steven Wang, who told an interviewer he began investing in second grade. 😳

The app has already racked up over a million downloads—something Wang says is especially important for Gen Z, with “almost 40% of young investors relying on platforms like YouTube or TikTok for financial guidance.”

While many are excited by the idea of outsourcing their portfolios to the pros, others worry that millions copying the same trades could distort markets and create artificial hype.

What’s your take?