Did you ever imagine there would come a time when we have to prove we’re actually human?
And I don’t mean this in the metaphorical or philosophical sense. This isn’t about a husband being loving and empathic as opposed to being a jerk, or a wife being kind instead of being a bitch, or a tycoon being compassionate instead of being a misogynist psychopath. No – not in that way.
I’m referring to being human – literally. Whether we like it or not, we’re now in an age when we need to prove we’re actually human as opposed to being a bot, a deepfake or some other form of AI-created doppelgänger.
But it is what it is. We are now in this Black Mirror-esque age of technology and its dizzying consequences.
Enter the Orb
And thus comes the introduction of human verification tools. Wow.
Now, why am I talking about this instead of my usual take on the economy or the political entanglements that constantly affect it? It’s because AI and its explosive repercussions are just as important to learn about, given their far-reaching impact on our lives.
That’s what brought me recently to the Greenhills branch of World, the largest human-centered financial and identity network.
One morning last week, I felt like I had stepped inside a sci-fi movie. Inside the air-conditioned office, men and women were lining up to have their eyeballs scanned by the so-called Orb – a futuristic-looking, spherical device, perhaps just a bit smaller than a basketball, equipped with sensors and cameras.
Imagine a monolith, about the height of a human, topped with the Orb. You look into it to have your eyeballs – your irises, in particular – scanned.
The goal? To have your humanness verified.
How it works
The Orb captures the unique patterns in your iris, which proves your humanness. The result is the World ID which, like a passport of sorts, proves that you are uniquely human.
Outside, one will already notice the queue of people waiting to have their humanness verified inside World’s customer center.
Once inside, they are led to an area where they are shown a video about what World and its service are all about.
And once they agree to proceed, they can now get their irises scanned using the Orb.
It is amazing, indeed – and it is technology at its best, with the aim, its proponents say, of fighting the dark side of tech.
Behind the vision
Curious, I talked to Damien Kieran, chief legal and privacy officer of World and Tools for Humanity, during my visit.
The idea is simple but radical: in a world increasingly filled with bots, fake accounts and AI-generated everything, we need a way to prove we’re real, he says.
Thus, the World is verifying humans through each new World ID.
“We’re trying to build the world’s largest network of verified humans,” Kieran tells me.
And this is where it gets more interesting.
Once verified, users can access a range of mini apps or bigger apps that will all eventually require human verification.
Kieran says that with each new World ID, a larger infrastructure takes shape – like laying telephone lines. Once verified, users can access a range of apps. For example, tools for microloans, secure messaging and services designed for people who often lack access to traditional banks or platforms.
Another example, says Ryuji Wolf, country manager of World in the Philippines, is dating apps. With a World ID, users can be sure that the bachelors or bachelorettes they’re connecting with are indeed human.
It’s free to get verified, and the incentive for people is that World wants to build a large network.
Defending against deepfakes
Kieran says being verified will especially come in handy because, in the future, it is predicted that 90 percent of the content online will be AI-generated.
With a World ID, users can prove they are indeed human. World does not store the data. The verified humans can get their code and store it on their phones.
In all, Kieran says World ID will also help protect Filipinos from deepfakes.
What comes to mind are the deepfakes now spreading across social media – videos of tycoons supposedly endorsing financial products or services.
Tycoons Ramon Ang, Lance Gokongwei and Enrique Razon are just some of those who have been victimized by these AI-generated fake videos.
According to World, as reported by The STAR last month, deepfake-related identity fraud cases surged by 4,500 percent in the Philippines between 2022 and 2023.
Toward a safer digital future
World and Tools for Humanity have partnered with the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines, the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team and Secure Digital Life Center to help Filipinos navigate the digital world safely.
This is part of efforts to help strengthen the country’s cyber ecosystem.
The initiative, World said, will involve nationwide campaigns to teach individuals and businesses about cyber threats, best practices and the use of advanced, privacy-respecting technologies to protect user identities (The STAR, April 7, 2025).
The Orb may look like something out of a sci-fi movie. But for those peering into it, the promise is surprisingly grounded. It’s all about what matters most – even in this dizzying digital world – the humans among us: you, me and everyone we know.
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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.