WorldCoin (now World) is launching AgentKit to tie AI agents to human identities using iris scans, aiming to combat AI abuse while expanding its biometric database.
World, formerly known as WorldCoin until late 2024 when AI became trendier than cryptocurrency, has announced a new limited beta of its AgentKit technology. The company, founded by Sam Altman, is pitching this as a solution to verify that AI agents truly represent human users, requiring iris scans via their signature orb device.
The concept behind AgentKit is to create a cryptographic link between a human and their AI agents. According to World, this will allow verified World ID holders—those who've had their irises scanned by an orb—to delegate their World IDs to AI agents. This serves as cryptographic proof of the individual behind the agent, theoretically preventing bad actors from abusing agentic AI.
World describes several potential use cases for AgentKit, including spam prevention, stopping AI agents from scalping tickets or reservations, and preventing the flooding of news rankings with low-quality content. The technology builds upon Coinbase's x402 protocol, which allows cryptocurrency users to exchange digital cash directly over HTTP and has been extended to limit AI agent access to online resources through micropayments.
However, the timing of this pivot raises questions. WorldCoin launched in 2019 with ambitions of bringing a billion people into its global cryptocurrency ecosystem using iris-scanning orbs. As of the AgentKit announcement, the company claims to have signed up only 18 million users—far short of its original goal. Meanwhile, the WorldCoin cryptocurrency itself has lost 76 percent of its value since launching in 2023.
The company's shift toward AI identity verification comes as cryptocurrency has largely fallen out of favor. With a substantial biometric database already collected and cryptocurrency adoption lagging, World appears to be searching for new applications for its technology.
AgentKit serves as an extension to existing protocols but adds the crucial element of identity verification. "Through World ID, a person can cryptographically and anonymously prove that they are a unique human without revealing any personal information to anyone," World stated in a press release. "That same proof can now extend to their agents."
This approach raises significant privacy concerns. While World claims the system allows users to prove their humanity without revealing personal information, it requires collecting highly sensitive biometric data—iris scans that create unique identifiers tied to individuals. The company allows a single human to delegate their World ID to as many agents as they want, potentially creating complex webs of verified but pseudonymous activity.
The success of AgentKit likely depends on whether businesses will require this form of identity verification for certain services. World will need to convince companies that the benefits of preventing AI abuse outweigh the friction of requiring iris scans and World ID verification.
For those interested in the technical details, AgentKit documentation is available on World's documentation site. However, neither World nor its parent company Tools For Humanity responded to requests for comment on this story.
This latest pivot from World represents a broader trend in the tech industry: companies built around specific technologies (in this case, cryptocurrency and biometrics) seeking new relevance as market conditions change. Whether businesses and consumers will embrace scanning their eyeballs to verify AI agents remains to be seen, but it's clear that World is betting its future on this identity verification play.
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