December 04, 2024

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AmCham Chairman and CEO James Kim (right) and Tools for Humanity CEO and co-founder Alex Blania pose for photos at a signing ceremony event held in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, Tuesday. (AmCham)

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea joined hands with Tools for Humanity, the developer of Worldcoin, to stress the importance of personal data protection in the era of artificial intelligence.

On Tuesday, the two entities signed a memorandum of understanding at a ceremony held in Seoul, agreeing to launch the “#IAmHuman” campaign here, highlighting the importance of safeguarding personal identity within an AI-driven economy.

“The partnership is focused on promoting the protection of personal identity in the AI-powered economy and fostering a business environment that benefits from new technologies,” AmCham Chairman and CEO James Kim said.

“By combining our resources and shared values, we are setting the stage for a future where technology serves humanity.”

"Improving digital literacy and digital identification protection for humans in South Korea is very important to us," Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said. Blania co-founded the company with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, behind the creation of ChatGPT.

Tools for Humanity is known for its World ID project which scans people’s irises with a device called the Orb. The data certifies their “humanness,” or in other words, “proof of personhood.”

“South Korea has long embraced developing and integrating new technologies. The community represents an ideal partner as we explore the vast potential of blockchain and its applications,” Blania said.

The signing ceremony was attended by key policymakers, including Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo and Rep. Kang Hoon-sik, along with industry experts including Eric Anziani, president and chief operating officer at Crypto.com.

At the ceremony, Kim and Blania engaged in a fireside chat, discussing the role and goal of Tools for Humanity.

“(The proof of personhood) is a truly global problem because the internet is global. It is not an issue that country by country can solve, but rather something we all need to come together with,” Blania said. “The problem will exponentially increase over the coming months and years.”

“South Korea is one of the technology capitals in the world and a very progressive country in many ways, with a strong workforce and a progressive government,” Blania said. “South Korea is one of the key markets in the world (for Tools for Humanity) to build a strong relationship with.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)