The Paradox of Personhood: a collaboration with FWB & Worldcoin

by FWB Staff

published January 18, 2024

FWB & Worldcoin present: The Paradox of Personhood at Feria Material, Vol. 10

We are undeniably human and individually unique. Yet this self knowledge is set against a backdrop of accelerating artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial superintelligence (ASI), a (mostly) non-corporeal technology potentially complicating our relationship to the world, each other, and how we interact online. Enter The Paradox of Personhood.

FWB exists to platform the better internet. We celebrate emerging tech, emerging culture, and the resulting discourse. Which is why we’re excited to announce our inaugural 2024 collaboration with Worldcoin at Feria Material, Vol. 10 during Mexico City’s Art Week. Titled The Paradox of Personhood, it underscores the contrast of living in an age defined by both technological optimism and complexity. This is the paradox of our lifetime.

“The art world pushes social discourse through creative expression and imagination. We’re excited to bring Worldcoin to Feria Material for exactly that reason.” – Greg Bresnitz, CEO FWB

“Worldcoin is designed for the radical inclusion of every human, providing access to digital identity and financial systems while still preserving individual privacy. Feria Material is a perfect setting to explore this imperative in the age of AI, and FWB is the perfect community partner to help bring it to life.” - Philipp Sippl, Worldcoin Foundation

In a future accelerated by AI, World ID, a product from Worldcoin, enables you to prove yourself as a unique human on the internet while keeping your identity private - essentially a passport for personhood or humanness. Facilitated by the Worldcoin Orb, this novel photographic technology recognizes all humans as humans regardless of biology, ethnicity, nationality, class or other societal identifiers.

Through this dynamic collaboration, we address the imperative of being human in the age of AGI/ASI, and what it means to thrive within governmental, financial, and societal systems that deny far too many people their humanity.

We’re bringing the Worldcoin Orb to Feria Material, Vol. 10 to immerse the Orb within the discourse of Latin America’s most beloved contemporary art fair. We intentionally chose Feria Material as our activation partner to align this campaign with the art world’s readiness for dialogue on emerging ideas and speculative futures. Positioning the Orb as an objet d’art disambiguates the paradox of personhood: we’ve arrived at a point in our cultural trajectory where verifying humanity through a cryptographically secure, open source protocol intermediated by chrome Orb hardware is an act of hope within our age of mass technological complexity.

“Since our first edition 10 years ago, Feria Material has championed forward-thinking artists and radical, new ideas in contemporary art. Art creates invaluable, critical conversations and our collective future should be shaped by conversations. As artificial intelligence begins to challenge our understanding of personhood and what it means to be human, this collaboration with FWB and Worldcoin offers a unique lens to view and discuss these complexities. It’s an important part of the dialogue that we’re inviting on what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.” – Brett W Schultz, Co-Founder and Director of Material

Save the date for Feria Material, Vol. 10 at Expo Reforma in Mexico City, February 8 - 11 to experience The Paradox of Personhood with Worldcoin and FWB.

RSVP here for an opportunity to receive complimentary passes to Feria Material, Vol. 10 and the Feria Material 10th Anniversary party on Saturday, February 10.

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