Altman Balances Roles as AI Problem Creator and Solver, Ethics Experts Warn of Trust Crisis

Sam Altman's leadership at OpenAI and his role in developing the World biometric identity system place him at the center of a growing controversy: can the same tech ecosystem that helps create AI-driven trust problems also build the infrastructure designed to solve them?

Sam Altman's Roles at OpenAI and World Raise Questions

In an April 2026 conversation, Trevor Traina, Chief Business Officer at Tools for Humanity, dismissed claims that Altman's roles constitute a conflict of interest.

Traina argued that Altman recognizes AI could create new problems in identity and authenticity while simultaneously helping develop human-centric solutions.

He stated this situation should be viewed as "the exact opposite" of a conflict of interest, noting that World is designed as an open protocol usable by both AI and non-AI companies.

Traina also said that as AI agents and bots become more prevalent online, proving one's humanity could ultimately become "a fundamental human right."

Ethics Experts Say Role Overlap Could Undermine Trust

Irina Raicu, Director of the Internet Ethics Program at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, offered a different perspective.

Raicu pointed to concerns dating back to World's early Worldcoin phase, when critics questioned whether its cryptocurrency ambitions were helping it collect biometric data at scale.

Raicu said: "The fact that the same person plays a key role in both the creation of the problem and the development of the proposed solution will make people distrust that solution."

She also warned that global biometric information collection could clash with growing efforts around data sovereignty and invite regulatory pushback.

World's Biometric ID Faces Global Privacy Scrutiny

World's biometric identity ambitions have faced regulatory and privacy scrutiny since Altman and Alex Blania announced the project as Worldcoin in 2021.

The company's Orb device, used to scan users' irises, quickly drew criticism over data collection and consent practices. A 2022 MIT Technology Review investigation alleged deceptive recruitment tactics and the collection of additional biometric information.

As World expanded, regulators in Kenya, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Hong Kong, Germany, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand raised concerns ranging from consent and financial incentives to excessive data collection.

Indeed, some jurisdictions have suspended operations or ordered data deletion.

Meanwhile, in April, World announced partnerships with Tinder, Zoom, and DocuSign.