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Tinder and other platforms, including Zoom, are introducing iris-scanning technology to allow users to verify they are human. To combat the rise of AI-generated bots, users can scan their irises via an app or a specialized "orb" device provided by the World network. Successful verification will earn users a "proof of humanity" badge.
World, formerly known as Worldcoin, is part of Tools for Humanity, a start-up co-founded and chaired by Sam Altman who is also the head of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
Once a person is confirmed as human by the technology they receive a unique identification code which is stored on their smartphone and considered their World ID.
Tinder and Zoom have encountered more problems with fake or malicious accounts and users over the last two years as improving AI technology has made it easier to impersonate human speech, voice and likeness.
Fake profiles on Tinder, often referred to as "bots", are typically used to scam people out of money or their personal information. Such bot accounts use not only fake profile photos, but AI-generated scripts to chat with real users.
Romance scams saw people in the US lose more than $1bn last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Late last year, Tinder began requiring all users to submit a video selfie in order to confirm they were real people. The integration with World ID will be an additional way people can be verified on the app if they choose to do so.
Yoel Roth, who leads trust and safety at Match Group, the owner of Tinder, said "Partnering with World ID is a natural next step" for the platform to help users "know the person on the other end is real."
Zoom, which is widely used for video conferences in work settings, is more concerned with increasingly sophisticated deepfakes of people who may be known to a user.
