World, the biometric verification startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is expanding its services to partners such as Zoom and major financial firms in its latest push to drive enterprise adoption of its so-called ‘proof of human’ tools designed to keep out malicious bots.The startup’s verification technology comes down to an orb-shaped device that captures an image of people’s irises and creates a permanent, tamper-proof record of their identity. Its broader suite of services built around this device is called World ID and looks to help organisations establish trust through these privacy-preserving, cryptographic Proofs.World ID with Zoom will allow meeting participants to confirm that they are the same Orb-verified human connected to their account, the company said in a post on X on Sunday, October 18.It has also partnered with Bain Capital, OpenExchange, Outtake, Pantera Capital and VanEck Funds to roll out World ID for Agents, a service that will allow banks and other financial institutions to identify AI agents based on Proofs from the users who delegate tasks to them.The move is part of World’s long-term plans to make its Orb-based, iris-scanning tech as commonplace as Touch ID and facial verification that come with most smartphones today.It also comes at a time when the rise of autonomous AI agents has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish bots from humans online. Additionally, scams perpetrated using malicious bots or AI-generated deepfakes are widespread.Beyond malicious bots, AI agents are being deployed for various tasks ranging from video calls to dating apps and shopping. And the balance of activity on the internet could soon shift. Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, has previously said traffic generated by AI-powered bots will overtake human activity online by 2027.Story continues below this adIn such a world that is increasingly dominated by AI agents, verifying whether certain online activities belong to an agent or a human, and identifying the person who deployed the agent, could emerge as a critical need for many businesses.Also Read | Why Amazon is trying to block Perplexity’s AI agent from accessing its online storeCiting a 2024 incident where a software engineer was tricked into transferring $25.6 million on a video call with deepfake participants, World said, “…AI has advanced significantly and is making impersonation increasingly convincing, causing challenges for financial institutions in particular.”“World ID for Zoom is designed to protect sensitive, high-stakes conversations by proving that a real and unique human is present. The integration uses cryptography to confirm that the person behind the screen is a verified human,” the company further said.How the Zoom integration will workIn the case of World ID with Zoom, participants who have cleared World ID’s security hurdles and join a video call will appear on-screen with a blue badge. This blue badge indicates that they are human, and that they are the person who they claim to be.Story continues below this adCompanies can decide when such proof is required based on the sensitivity of the calls. In order to verify their identity on Zoom or any other platform, individuals can use their phone camera and an app that cross-checks their scanned iris against the encrypted Orb record.In 2024, an employee at engineering firm Arup transferred $25.6 million after joining a video call where every other participant was a deepfake. Since then, AI has advanced significantly and is making impersonation increasingly convincing, causing challenges for financial institutions in particular. As autonomous agents begin handling more financial activity on behalf of people, establishing an added layer of trust and security behind a transaction or sensitive conversation is becoming an urgent need.Introducing @world_id for banking and finance, a suite of technologies that helps institutions establish trust through privacy-preserving cryptographic Proofs. World ID for Zoom lets meeting participants confirm they are the same Orb-verified human connected to their account, while World ID for agents allows AI agents to carry Proofs delegated by people. Bain Capital, OpenExchange, Outtake, Pantera Capital, and VanEck Funds are initial design partners, bringing World ID into some of finance’s most consequential interactions.https://t.co/NakSyrdBtq— World (@worldnetwork) October 19, 2026Note, every verification process does not require an eye scan since World ID offers three tiers of verification using its app. The lowest tier, known as ‘Proof of Attributes’ verifies a person’s identity based on scanned government documents, while the second-level called ‘Proof of Presence’ requires a selfie.Meanwhile, World’s partnerships with financial firms will reportedly involve installing Orb devices in their offices in order to sign up employees who have not previously used one to scan their irises.What is World?Formerly known as Worldcoin, the startup has sparked some unease among people in the past over its links to Sam Altman and how its Orb devices evoke a sci-fi, dystopian future.However, many consider its verification stack to be effective from a security and a privacy perspective since the underlying tech is based on an open-source protocol that can be used by anyone, including competitors.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Sam Altman’s eye-scanning startup reportedly cuts jobs as OpenAI moves toward IPOInstead of creating a centralised database of individuals, the Orb devices encrypt the identity of those it scans in a way that cannot even be read by the company. World is not the only company looking to provide credentials to trusted AI agents. In August 2026, Cloudflare announced an agent ID tool of its own, alongside a wallet designed for those agents to use.