The startup Tools for Humanity, founded by Sam Altman and known for developing the Orb—a volleyball-sized device that scans irises to verify human identity—has reportedly instilled a demanding workplace culture that prioritizes work above all else. According to a recording of a January all-hands meeting reviewed by Business Insider, CEO Alex Blania told employees that their sole focus should be on the company’s mission, with no room for distractions like politics, diversity initiatives, or personal life. “We will neither fail, nor will we be an average outcome, and that's what we want and that's all I care about every day and all you should care about every day, and nothing else should matter,” Blania said. “If you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here. It's as simple as that.” The company’s internal values, displayed on a screen in its former San Francisco office, reinforced this message. One value read: “We are very (very) hard working. We believe this is a once in a lifetime project and that success is important for humanity. Therefore, we work weekends, we're always on call, and we push as hard as our circumstances allow us to.” Other values included a rejection of “slowness and comfort,” a warning against “talkers, ideology, or politics,” and a statement that the team “doesn’t have time to worry about each other's feelings; we say what needs to be said.” Blania, who also mentioned attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration, said the company’s goal is to verify 100 million people by the end of the year and eventually reach a billion users. As of now, Tools for Humanity has verified about 17.5 million people—roughly 2% of its target. Employees were also encouraged to use AI to boost productivity. Damien Kieran, the company’s chief legal and privacy officer, noted that while the company is built to solve AI-related problems, it may not be using AI enough. He announced that the IT team was negotiating a deal for ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI’s business-focused AI platform. There were also discussions about integrating the company’s cryptocurrency project, World, with OpenAI to verify users. Surprisingly, the company also plans to make Google’s Gemini Enterprise available to all staff, despite the model’s direct competition with OpenAI’s offerings. A spokesperson for Tools for Humanity said the company’s transparent and focused culture has helped build a team driven by a shared, urgent mission: ensuring that every human benefits from the age of AI. The current core values include optimism, individual responsibility, and clear thinking. The company’s approach reflects a broader trend in tech toward intense, results-driven cultures—similar to recent shifts at AT&T and Amazon. While some employees may thrive in such environments, the emphasis on relentless work and minimal tolerance for personal concerns raises questions about long-term sustainability and employee well-being.