World launches tool to verify humans behind AI shopping agents

World, co-founded by Sam Altman, is dedicated to creating what it calls “ proof of human ” tech — ID verification tools for an internet increasingly overrun by AI-generated content of dubious quality. The connection isn’t lost that Altman’s other company, OpenAI, has been widely blamed for creating a whole lot of that slop (though one could argue he saw the problem coming when he founded World).

This week, Tools for Humanity (TFH), the startup behind World, released the beta of a new verification tool — this one designed to support the build-out of agentic commerce, the fast-growing practice of using AI programs to browse the web and make purchases on a user’s behalf.

More and more consumers are using AI agents to surf websites and buy stuff for them. The trend promises a certain amount of automated convenience, but it has also raised the specter of new forms of fraud , spam, and other forms of large-scale internet abuse.

On Tuesday, World announced its purported solution: AgentKit, a software development tool geared toward commercial websites that allows for the inclusion of a new verification system that let’s those sites verify a real human is behind an agent’s purchasing decisions.

AgentKit relies on World ID, which is the linchpin of TFH’s verification system. The most secure version of the ID is derived from a scan of a user’s eyes via World’s Orb device . The Orb converts an iris into a unique and encrypted digital code — the verified World ID — which can then be used to access TFH’s ecosystem of services via the company’s World app.

AgentKit allows a user’s World ID to be integrated into a recently launched payment system known as the x402 protocol . Developed by Coinbase and Cloudflare, x402 is a blockchain-based open standard to allow automated computer programs to transact with each other directly online — without human intervention at each step. To use AgentKit, users merely register their AI agents with their World ID, which then communicates to websites — via the x402 system — that a distinct and verified human approves of the agent’s purchasing decisions.

“AgentKit is built as a complementary extension to the x402 v2 protocol, in coordination with Coinbase,” Tools for Humanity said in a statement. “The integration is designed so that any website already using x402 can enable proof of unique human verification alongside (or instead of) micropayments.”

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In an interview with TechCrunch, TFH Chief Product Officer Tiago Sada compared the new function to delegating “power of attorney” to an agent. By verifying that the AI program is acting on behalf of a particular user, a website can decide whether to trust the transactions initiated by those agents or not, Sada said. “What the World ID badge tells you is that someone is a real and a unique human,” he said, noting that websites can still choose to block particular users they think are operating in bad faith.

AgentKit is currently being offered in beta to developers, with the hope that feedback will refine it over time. Sada also noted that consumers will need to have a verified World ID, derived from an Orb scan, to qualify for this kind of verification.

It’s a timely move. Major e-commerce sites and financial services have already begun embracing agentic commerce. Last year, companies like Amazon and Mastercard introduced automated buying capabilities to their platforms, and Google recently launched its own protocol designed to support the trend. As the field grows, the industry is obviously going to want safeguards that ensure it remains reliable and stable. World is clearly attempting to position itself as the de facto provider of that stability.

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