In 2019, Sam Altman helped launch Tools for Humanity, envisioning it as one of several companies poised to revolutionize the world. His reasoning was that once OpenAI’s technology reached a certain level of sophistication, it would signal a shift on the internet. Artificial intelligence would become so advanced and human-like that distinguishing between content created by real people and AI would be impossible. Altman foresaw the need for a new online framework: a human-verification layer to differentiate authentic individuals from the growing number of bots and AI entities. TIME’s Billy Perrigo delves into Altman’s proposed solution – an enigmatic device known as the Orb.