The digital human: the relevant face of artificial intelligence?

London
CNN
—

Scroll the Instagram account from DJ and aspiring model Dex, you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world, and chatting with her thousands of followers about her hobbies.

However, it’s clear that there’s something different about Dex; it’s a fully virtual “digital human” designed by a startup in the United Kingdom.

For his performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or in the form of a holographic projection, with his mixes created by humans. It is animated using Unreal Engine – a 3D modeling software widely used in video games – combined with motion capture. Generative artificial intelligence allows it to remember information and answer questions, using a voice also generated by the AI.

“She’s probably one of the only digital humans in entertainment that you can have a conversation with and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “You can ask him anything. He’s a musical genius.”

Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she modeled outfits from Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.

For Sum Vivas, based in Liverpool, it is a “centerpiece” for more practical applications. The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on airport screens.

According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “What we found is that when people start working and conversing with a digital human, they stop their disbelief very quickly,” Sims told CNN. “It becomes natural.”

Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI – artificial intelligence powered by huge data sets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational manner.

Record levels of investment in generative AI followed, with more than 21 billion dollars injected into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data analytics company Pitchbook. In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time, Anthropic launched its AI assistant Claude. As generative AI chatbots become more and more ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of many companies looking to make them more human.

UneeQ, based in the United States and New Zealand, has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales representatives and customer service agents on company websites. Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member which answers questions on the Qatar Airways website and app.

Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create realistic avatars, capable of transforming text prompts into animated speeches. However, there are many concerns about the impact that AI could have on the job market.

“When we rely on automated tools, what skills do we lose in the process? asks Jennifer Ding, senior research fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “In a way, we see AI as something that helps us or improves our work,” she says. “But at the same time, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”

Harris, however, points to new opportunities in the field of digital human design and development. “In every scenario we found, we create jobs and work in harmony with people rather than cutting jobs,” she says.

“Digital humans must first and foremost work with other human colleagues,” Sims adds. “We will move to a stage where digital humans begin to become just another member of the team, with additional benefits for that team, and obviously for the customers they serve. »