Vitalik Buterin Worries Sam Altman's World Project Might Actually Be a Plot to Steal Everyone's Identity (And Their Lunch Money)

In a shocking turn of events that absolutely no one saw coming, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed some mild concerns about Sam Altman's latest venture, the World project. Buterin, who is known for his calm demeanor and love of privacy, reportedly had a moment of existential dread when he realized that Altman's digital identification system might just be a fancy way to ask everyone, "Hey, can I have your social security number?" on a global scale.

The World project, which promises to revolutionize how we think about digital identity, has been met with enthusiasm from people who love giving tech CEOs access to their personal data. But Buterin, ever the party pooper, is here to remind us that maybe, just maybe, handing over all your personal information to a single entity isn't the best idea since sliced bread.

"I have reservations," Buterin said, in what might be the understatement of the century. "It's not that I don't trust Sam Altman with my digital identity. It's just that I don't trust anyone with my digital identity. Except maybe my cat."

The project, which aims to create a universal digital ID system, has been compared to everything from a utopian vision of the future to a dystopian nightmare where your toaster knows more about you than your mother does. Buterin's main concern? That the system could become too good at identifying people, to the point where it starts identifying them even when they don't want to be identified. Like when you're trying to sneak into a Rated-R movie as a teenager, or when you're pretending to be someone else on the internet.

Altman, for his part, has responded to Buterin's concerns with the kind of confidence only a tech billionaire can muster. "Vitalik is a brilliant mind," Altman said, while presumably petting a white cat and laughing maniacally. "But I think he's missing the bigger picture. Imagine a world where you never have to remember a password again. Or your name. Or your birthday. Or anything, really. It'll be great."

As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the future of digital identity is going to be a wild ride. And if you thought keeping track of your passwords was hard, just wait until you have to keep track of your entire identity. Good luck with that.