The WorldCoin Project: From Crypto to AI

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This chapter of the podcast discusses the WorldCoin project and its shift in framing from a crypto project to an AI project. They talk about the motivations behind this shift and how it is emblematic of many crypto projects whose main goal is to generate buzz and drive up the price of the cryptocurrency. The concept of progressive decentralization is also explored, with skepticism about whether WorldCoin will actually decentralize as they claim.

Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss Sam Bankman-Fried having his bail revoked and Sam Altman’s plan to scan all of our irises to get us into crypto and supposedly protect us from AI.

Molly White is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great and a fellow at the Harvard Library Innovation Lab. You can follow Molly on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Molly wrote about Sam Bankman-Fried going to prison and what’s going on with Worldcoin in her newsletter.
Paris also dug into Worldcoin in the Disconnect newsletter.
The New York Times published a story about Caroline Ellison based on details provided by Sam Bankman-Fried.
MIT Tech Review and Buzzfeed News did in-depth investigations of Worldcoin and its exploitation of people in the Global South.
Worldcoin has been shut down in Kenya and is under regulatory scrutiny in the European Union.

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