Sam Altman-Backed Startup Aims to Verify Humans Behind AI Transactions

AI agents are starting to shop online for consumers, but that convenience is introducing new risks. As automated purchases increase, businesses are finding ways to confirm that real people are still in control. 

World, the identity startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is stepping in with a proposed fix. Its new AgentKit tool aims to verify that a human is authorizing purchases made by AI agents, adding a layer of trust to the fast-changing world of agent-based shopping. 

Building trust into AI-driven transactions

Tools for Humanity, the company behind World, released AgentKit in beta as a developer tool designed to help websites confirm that AI agents act on behalf of real people, according to TechCrunch. 

The system builds on World ID, a digital identity credential tied to a unique individual. In its most secure version, the ID is generated via an iris scan with the company’s Orb device, which converts the biometric data into an encrypted code. 

Dataconomy also reported that this identity layer allows users to link their verified World ID to AI agents, enabling those agents to carry proof of human authorization into online transactions. 

Integration with the emerging payment infrastructure

AgentKit integrates with the x402 protocol, a blockchain-based standard developed by Coinbase and Cloudflare that allows automated systems to transact directly online. 

“AgentKit is built as a complementary extension to the x402 v2 protocol, in coordination with Coinbase,” Tools for Humanity said in a statement cited by TechCrunch.

“The integration is designed so that any website already using x402 can enable proof of unique human verification alongside (or instead of) micropayments.”

Growing demand for safeguards in agentic commerce

TechCrunch noted that the release comes as agentic commerce gains traction, with AI programs increasingly used to browse websites and make purchases on users’ behalf. 

Major companies such as Amazon and Mastercard have already introduced automated buying capabilities, while Google has developed supporting protocols for the trend. 

According to Dataconomy, Tools for Humanity Chief Product Officer Tiago Sada compared the system to delegated authority to an AI agent. “What the World ID badge tells you is that someone is a real and a unique human,” Sada emphasized, noting that websites can still decide to block users they suspect of bad faith.

AgentKit addresses a key concern for businesses adopting AI-driven commerce: whether automated transactions can be trusted. By confirming human intent behind each agent, World is trying to make its identity system a trusted layer for safer AI-driven commerce.

However, requiring biometric verification, such as iris scans, could raise privacy concerns, even as companies seek stronger safeguards against fraud and abuse. 

AgentKit is currently in beta, with Tools for Humanity seeking developer feedback to refine the platform over time. 

Also read: See how Nvidia is expanding the AI agent ecosystem with new tools for Adobe, SAP, and Salesforce.