ChatGPT founder says bitcoin is ‘super logical’ next step for tech

Sam Altman looks towards ‘global currency that is outside of the control of any government’

Sam Altman’s own Worldcoin cryptocurrency uses a metal orb to capture people’s biometric data, which they can then use to acquire cryptocurrency (Worldcoin)

OpenAI boss Sam Altman has labelled bitcoin the “super logical” next step for technological progress, just months after launching his own cryptocurrency.

Mr Altman, whose company launched the viral AI assistant ChatGPT last year, made the comments on a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, during which he also lamented the role of government regulation in the crypto space.

“The war on crypto... that makes me quite sad about the country,” Mr Altman said.

“I think this idea that we have this global currency that is outside of the control of any government is a super logical and important step on the tech tree.”

The price of bitcoin fell sharply in 2021 and 2022, largely driven by the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has since filed lawsuits against other exchanges like Binance and Coinbase as part of a crackdown against the industry.

A crypto bill has also been introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren in an attempt to address “crypto’s use in money laundering, drug trafficking, and financing of terrorism and rogue nations”.

The OpenAI boss spoke briefly about his own cryptocurrency project, called Worldcoin, which has faced several controversies since officially launching in July.

The project involves collecting people’s biometric data through an iris-scanning orb in exchange for a share of the crypto token WLD.

The idea is to use the data to verify each individual’s “unique personhood” in order to ensure that no one is able to claim more than their allotted share of the cryptocurrency.

The unique approach has been branded both “outlandish” and “revolutionary” by crypto commentators, with some warning that the sensitive nature of the data means it could be exploited by nefarious actors.

Regulators in several countries, including France and Germany, are investigating Worldcoin’s operations to see if it is in violation of data security practices.

Worldcoin has acknowledged the privacy concerns, noting in a blog post in August that “everything is optional” and that no personal information needs to be tied to the iris scan.

“[The Orb] validates a person’s humanness locally on the device, without needing to send, upload or save images,” the post stated. “By default, the Orb promptly deletes iris images after the creation of the iris code.”