A push to build digital proof-of-humanity is gaining ground, which is good for fighting AI fraud but worrying for anyone concerned about privacy and centralized control.

• Tools for Humanity, co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, is rolling out a device called the Orb that scans your eye to confirm you are a real person.
• The scan creates a World ID — a permanent digital badge proving you are human, tied to something about your body you can never change.
• Altman has said proof of human will eventually be demanded by every website, app, and transaction.
• Critics see a manufactured crisis being used to centralize power, and compare it to the biblical warning about a mark you need in order to buy or sell.

Outlook: Expect more sites and apps to start asking for human verification as AI bots flood the internet, with privacy fights following close behind.