The startup Tools for Humanity, which is behind the World human verification project and was co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has unveiled a new mobile device. This device is designed to help individuals determine whether they are interacting with a human or an AI agent.

Rich Heley, the Chief Device Officer at Tools for Humanity and a former director at Apple, introduced the Orb Mini device during the company’s “At Last” event in San Francisco. The Orb Mini resembles a smartphone and features two large sensors on the front, which are used to scan the eyeballs of users.

The World project, a web3 initiative founded by Altman and Alex Blania, was initially known as Worldcoin. The project is based on the concept that it will eventually become impossible to distinguish between humans and AI agents on the internet. To address this issue, World aims to develop digital “proof of human” tools, and these announcements are part of its effort to encourage millions of people to sign up.

Once a user’s eyeball is scanned using one of the silver metal Orbs or the new Orb Mini, World will provide a unique identifier on the blockchain to verify that the user is a human.

The Orb Mini, which takes its name from the company’s larger Orb devices, has a design similar to that of a smartphone and is intended to be portable, according to a Tools for Humanity spokesperson who briefed TechCrunch. Thomas Meyerhoff, a former Apple designer, contributed to the design of the Orb Mini, as confirmed by individuals familiar with the new product.

The primary purpose of the Orb Mini is to verify the identity of more individuals, rather than to be used as a device for running applications, making phone calls, or sending text messages. However, the spokesperson noted that it is unclear what the device’s ultimate functionality will be.

Following the event, Blania informed TechCrunch that the company plans to eventually transform the Orb Mini into a mobile point-of-sale device and potentially sell the sensor technology to manufacturers of devices.

Tools for Humanity is also launching its World Network in the United States on Thursday and will open storefronts in several cities, including Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. These stores, which World already operates in other countries, are designed to allow people to come in and have their eyeballs scanned by one of the company’s Orbs.

The World project claims to have 26 million registered users and 12 million verified users worldwide. Currently, the company has a larger presence in Latin America, South America, and Asia, but the announcement made on Wednesday aims to expand the project in the United States.

While the company did not provide detailed information about the Orb Mini, the device appears to be an attempt to distribute its verification devices more widely. Despite shifts in the company’s objectives over the years, the Orb seems to be a core component of its mission.

One key question surrounding the World project is whether it will eventually collaborate with Sam Altman’s other venture, OpenAI. It is unclear whether the Orb Mini will have any AI features or if it is related to the AI device that OpenAI is reportedly developing.