San Francisco is gearing up for yet another tech industry takeover, this time led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. His latest venture, known delightfully as World (previously Worldcoin, because who doesn’t love a rebrand?), is diving into the world of biometric data collection. Rumor has it that this project is in talks to lease a whopping 60,000 square feet in a snazzy new office building located in Mission Rock, right by Pier 48 and McCovey Cove.

Picture it: a space co-owned by the San Francisco Giants and developer Tishman Speyer, while Altman’s startup is reportedly eyeing the coveted top two floors. But, wait, there’s more! This isn’t just about office real estate; it’s about the future, allegedly. You know, the future of privacy-invading algorithms for a nice dash of capitalism, because who really cares about our iris data, right? Just consider it a tech-savvy twist on ‘Are you a robot?’, except the answer requires you to sacrifice your biometric information.

World has already sparked waves of controversy, primarily for targeting low-income populations in developing nations, enticing them into giving up their iris scans in exchange for some flimsy cryptocurrency. An MIT analysis points out that this whole operation has a hint of exploitation to it. Who would have thought, right? Meanwhile, tech security has taken a hit, with hackers gleefully stealing employee credentials, thus exposing sensitive biometric data. What a fun game of high-stakes bingo we have going on here!

And just when you thought this office lease was the cherry on top, let’s analyze that track record of Altman’s. Yes, he’s managed to grab the headlines quite often, although he’s recently caught some flak for his desperate attempts to woo Donald Trump. Anyone keeping score of how that might influence any regulatory approvals for World?

So, while Altman may be putting his stamp on the San Francisco skyline yet again, one can’t help but wonder if tampering with human dignity is a fair trade-off for office space solutions in a city already battling an office vacancy crisis.

If this venture signals a return to glory for San Francisco’s empty office spaces, let’s hope it comes with a side helping of ethics, and maybe a dash of respect for our iris integrity, thanks.