In an internet where faces, voices and even personalities can be faked, being human is becoming something people must prove. According to data from VML’s the “Future 100: 2026” report, 71% of people globally say AI is making it impossible to understand what is true in the world and 81% believe truth is an endangered concept these days. As AI-generated scams, deepfakes and synthetic identities become virtually indistinguishable from reality, companies are moving beyond traditional logins and passwords toward a new category of verification: proof of humanity.
The digital world is facing an identity crisis and people want proof of life.
Today’s organizations should fight fire with fire, defeating deepfake and AI technologies with rapidly advancing biometric technology, comments Ricardo Amper, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Incode Technologies, in a think-piece published by World Economic Forum. The shift reflects a broader reset in digital trust. The question is no longer simply whether an account is valid, but whether there is a real, living person at the other end of the screen.
One of the most striking examples is Quartz, a concept ring created by design studios Modem and Retinaa. The ring uses a real-world handshake to create an encrypted bond between two people, later allowing them to verify one another online or over the phone.
As Modem design and research director Scott Kooken told Dezeen, the project began with a simple question: “in a world where everything can be faked, how do you establish trust?”
Quartz concept ring using a real-world handshake to create an encrypted bond between two people. Photography by Matthew Tammaro. Courtesy of Modem and Retinaa
The idea is both symbolic and practical. Quartz combines finger-vein biometrics, NFC and cryptography, turning one of humanity’s oldest trust rituals into a digital security tool. It signals a future where physical presence is the ultimate luxury, and "offline-first" interactions become the golden standard for high-value relationships.
At platform scale, World ID is pushing proof of human into mainstream apps. In April 2026, it announced integrations with Tinder, Zoom, Docusign, Okta and Vercel, bringing proof-of-human verification into dating, meetings, contracts and AI agent workflows. World says nearly 18 million people across 160 countries have verified their humanity, and its ID system has been used more than 450 million times.
The need is becoming urgent. Tinder is using World ID to help users determine they are real, while Zoom is exploring verification for calls as deepfake fraud becomes a corporate risk.
World’s Tiago Sada, chief product officer at Tools for Humanity, put it plainly in an interview with tech influencer Tiffany Janzen: “If anything online can be faked, you no longer know who or what to trust.”
For brands, proof of humanity is no longer an IT or security issue, it is a critical layer of customer experience. Fast Company argues that proof of personhood can support safer onboarding, higher-value transactions and reduced friction for legitimate users.
The implication is clear: in the AI era, trust will not be built only through better algorithms. It may increasingly depend on designing systems that can confirm the most basic thing of all, that a real human is present.
Main image: Quartz concept ring using a real-world handshake to create an encrypted bond between two people. Photography by Matthew Tammaro. Courtesy of Modem and Retinaa
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