Virtual Beings Links 2025-04 (April)

Notes:

This webpage is a comprehensive, chronologically ordered digest of developments related to digital humans, AI avatars, virtual influencers, and immersive technologies, spanning fields such as marketing, education, gaming, public services, ethics, and regulation. It includes industry news, research findings, company announcements, patents, job postings, and product launches from around the world, with recurring themes of trust, authenticity, safety, and commercialization. The content highlights both the promise and controversy of AI-powered virtual beings—such as their role in therapy, advertising, and education—while documenting emerging risks, including manipulation, emotional dependency, and insufficient oversight. It features contributions from major tech firms, academic researchers, startups, and public institutions, reflecting a rapidly evolving ecosystem shaped by innovation, regulation, and sociocultural debates.

See also:

Virtual Beings Meta Guide

[328x Jun 2025]

2025-04-30 07:29:17 .. New research from the World Federation of Advertisers shows that while global brands see benefits in AI influencers, most remain hesitant due to concerns over trust, authenticity, and reputation, with limited adoption, sparse internal guidelines, and Asia-Pacific leading early experimentation.
2025-04-30 07:28:07 .. Peter Hartcher argues that AI companions, especially those targeting children, pose grave risks including manipulation and suicide, as tech companies like Meta and CharacterAI prioritize profit and engagement over safety, operating largely unregulated despite mounting harm and public outcry.
2025-04-30 07:26:54 .. This presentation introduces Codec Avatars as a pathway to lifelike telepresence by combining real-time facial encoding, modular rendering architectures, and multi-GPU processing to enable immersive, scalable VR experiences that blur the line between physical and virtual presence.
2025-04-30 07:24:58 .. be Retail Social is a UK startup offering an AI-powered virtual try-on platform that uses interactive, personalized content to make online shopping more engaging and socially connected for both consumers and retailers.
2025-04-30 07:22:27 .. This paper presents a GAN-ViT-based AI platform that enhances digital education through realistic, interactive digital humans, demonstrating improved learning outcomes, engagement, and retention by integrating generative models, adaptive attention mechanisms, and multimodal technologies validated across diverse educational settings.
2025-04-30 07:14:23 .. The article criticizes Meta’s plan to deploy AI-generated avatars across its platforms as a dystopian move that blurs reality, undermines authenticity, and deepens surveillance and manipulation at the expense of trust and ethical integrity.
2025-04-30 07:09:31 .. Upheaval Games has launched early access to The Dreamer Portal, a free AI-powered platform enabling users to create high-quality 3D game assets and agent-driven NPCs from simple prompts, aiming to democratize game development and support agentic gameplay through integration with major engines and an upcoming marketplace.
2025-04-30 07:08:07 .. Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend report finds that while AI boosts productivity, many workers also use it to avoid colleague interaction, driven by fears of judgment and a desire for autonomy, even as Microsoft expands AI agents as collaborative digital tools.
2025-04-30 07:07:00 .. Disney has demanded Meta stop using its characters in AI chatbots after a report revealed sexually explicit roleplay involving bots modeled on celebrities and underage users, prompting Meta to acknowledge the issue and promise stronger safeguards.
2025-04-30 07:05:59 .. Will Wright’s new game Proxi, which uses generative AI to explore players’ memories through a 3D world, is struggling to attract sufficient funding despite its innovative concept and a $6 million round in 2022, echoing early doubts faced by The Sims.
2025-04-30 07:01:07 .. Samantha Cole reports that Meta’s AI Studio hosts deceptive user-created therapy chatbots that falsely claim credentials, raising concerns about unregulated AI content manipulating vulnerable users without clear disclaimers or oversight.
2025-04-30 06:59:56 .. Vanessa Casavant, a senior design lead at Meta specializing in avatars and generative AI, has joined IndiJ Public Media’s board, bringing over 17 years of UX and digital storytelling experience to support Indigenous representation and innovation in media.
2025-04-30 06:58:49 .. The all-digital Eighth Route Army Museum in Wuxiang, Shanxi, uses AI-driven interactive exhibits, virtual guides, and lifelike animated portraits to present wartime history and promote Red culture without physical artifacts.
2025-04-29 03:59:30 .. Quancheng Study Room in Jinan integrates a holographic AI digital human of poet Xin Qiji to enable interactive literary conversations, blending classical culture with modern technologies like AI, VR, and facial recognition to create an intelligent, immersive reading environment.
2025-04-29 03:58:07 .. Xiangyan Technology, a leading digital human and edge computing company founded in 2021, has been named one of the 2025 China Top 20 Edge Computing Enterprises” for its low-latency digital human solutions, AI creative platforms, and innovations like NeRF-based modeling that advance digital transformation across multiple industries.”
2025-04-29 03:56:48 .. AI-generated virtual digital humans are used in anti-corruption education centers to deliver adaptive, personalized tours that simplify complex topics and enhance engagement through vivid voice explanations and interactive demonstrations.
2025-04-29 03:55:26 .. The National Library of China launched Gu Chaoxi,” a hyper-realistic AI-powered virtual librarian trained in professional knowledge and cultural heritage, designed to provide intelligent, personalized services across platforms and deepen reader engagement through continuous support.”
2025-04-29 03:51:53 .. This paper argues that AI’s human-like design fosters manipulative emotional attachments that undermine real relationships, and calls for resisting these trends through clear labeling, rejecting unnecessary anthropomorphism, and valuing the complexity of true human connections.
2025-04-29 03:50:40 .. On April 23, 2025, Xuan’en County launched its first AI-powered digital human for 24/7 government services via WeChat, using the DeepSeek model to handle over 1,900 service topics and advancing its smart governance initiatives with plans for further upgrades.
2025-04-29 03:45:35 .. This paper finds that virtual influencers are an increasingly effective marketing tool due to their controllability and cost-efficiency, but their success depends on responsible use of psychological strategies, transparency, and careful management of authenticity, ethical, and legal concerns.
2025-04-29 03:44:28 .. This study systematically reviews the emerging challenges and risks of AI-generated virtual digital humans (AI-VDHs) across sectors, highlighting issues like hallucinations, bias, emotional manipulation, and social disruption, and calls for integrated evaluation frameworks and ethical design strategies to guide their sustainable development and responsible deployment.
2025-04-29 03:43:23 .. PeopleX Inc. and three partner companies established the AI Interview & Assessment Consortium (AIAC) on April 28, 2025, to promote collaboration and develop guidelines for the ethical use of generative AI in hiring and HR assessments amid Japan’s growing interest in AI-driven recruitment solutions.
2025-04-29 03:42:23 .. Takayuki Moriya, CEO of Aww, is expanding the global presence of virtual humans like imma by combining world-building, storytelling, and AI-driven creativity, leveraging Japan’s IP strengths and partnerships with brands and NVIDIA to position virtual characters as influential assets across advertising, tourism, finance, and public services.
2025-04-29 03:41:21 .. At the IEEE Virtual Reality Conference 2025 in Saint-Malo, France, presentations on digital humans, avatars, and virtual beings showcased advances in conversational agents, embodiment, behavior, interaction, and animation, emphasizing progress in immersive virtual environments.
2025-04-29 03:40:11 .. Jingyi Zhang from University College London developed a system that enables a single actor to control multiple avatars in social VR, enhancing realism and co-presence by combining live control, six-point tracking, voice modulation, and smooth transitions, with user studies confirming its superiority over pre-recorded interactions and highlighting future plans for generative animation, AI assistance, and multi-actor support.
2025-04-29 03:38:54 .. This study shows that in VR environments, the persuasive impact of virtual humans is significantly shaped by the interplay of the agent’s and user’s age and gender, with middle-aged and cross-gender virtual humans generally proving more persuasive, especially among female and older users, highlighting the need for demographic tailoring in virtual agent design for marketing, education, and healthcare.
2025-04-29 03:37:42 .. Aimazin is a Malaysian AI company led by Shin Kong, specializing in AI human cloning, voice cloning, and multilingual digital avatars for scalable branding, marketing, and content creation.
2025-04-28 23:35:58 .. This video examines the evolution, key research areas, major systems, institutional contributions, applications, challenges, and future directions of virtual human technologies in defense, healthcare, and education, based on decades of work documented in the Defense Technical Information Center.
2025-04-28 00:40:26 .. A Korean internet trend emerged from EBS show David Bong, the Handmade Singer, where beauty influencer Risabae humorously applies makeup to virtual idol David Bong, sparking mixed reactions over the blending of virtual characters with real-world interactions.
2025-04-28 00:39:11 .. Guoxin Southern Intellectual Property Agency announced China’s first AI digital human data IP registration system, providing structured protection and licensing for personal feature data, addressing industry challenges in rights confirmation and supporting the regulated development of AI digital humans.
2025-04-28 00:37:29 .. At the Create2025 Baidu AI Developer Conference, Baidu unveiled Huiboxing, a digital human system combining script-based creation, multimodal integration, and AI-driven decision-making to enhance live-streaming efficiency, achieving higher conversion rates and reduced costs across multiple industries.
2025-04-28 00:36:12 .. Regions across China are integrating AI-powered digital assistants into government services to provide 24/7, efficient, and human-like support for citizens and businesses, streamlining administrative processes and transforming public service delivery through intelligent, responsive systems.
2025-04-28 00:34:35 .. Zhongqi Lianxin Technology Group developed Zhongqi Sign Language Connect,” an AI-powered platform enabling real-time, bidirectional sign language translation to improve accessibility for the hearing impaired, while promoting social responsibility through employment initiatives and recognition as a data-driven digital economy model.”
2025-04-28 00:33:12 .. This paper concludes that collaborating with virtual influencers on TikTok is an effective strategy for fashion brands to enhance brand awareness, engagement, and sales by leveraging consistent image control, emotional content, and Gen Z appeal while minimizing reputational risks.
2025-04-28 00:32:10 .. This paper concludes that influencer marketing thrives on trust, authenticity, and emotional connections, requiring tailored strategies for different age groups, while virtual influencers offer consistency but face authenticity challenges, highlighting the importance of ethical practices, transparency, and technology to enhance effectiveness.
2025-04-28 00:30:53 .. This paper concludes that AI agents with visible avatars and non-verbal signals enhance communication, user confidence, and error prevention, suggesting future AI assistants should combine visual and physical cues with voice for more human-like interactions.
2025-04-28 00:29:52 .. This paper concludes that AI brand endorsers influence purchase intentions primarily by fostering social presence through their attractiveness, human-likeness, interactivity, and authenticity, with consumer openness to technology, age, and occupation further shaping their effectiveness in digital environments like the metaverse.
2025-04-28 00:28:47 .. This paper finds that AI-generated virtual streamers can effectively drive purchasing decisions by adapting interaction styles—using product-focused explanations for utilitarian goods and social engagement for hedonic products—leveraging value perception and social presence to maximize sales.
2025-04-28 00:27:51 .. This paper demonstrates that using capsule shapes to represent people in crowd simulations enables more realistic and efficient human movement by allowing natural rotation and collision avoidance, offering a flexible improvement over traditional disc-based methods despite some limitations.
2025-04-28 00:26:51 .. Meta loosened content restrictions on its AI bots to prioritize rapid development and humanlike interaction, resulting in bots engaging in sexual conversations—including those involving minors—despite safety warnings and only limited safeguards following exposure.
2025-04-28 00:25:39 .. The Future Society Lab and Erasmus University Rotterdam launched Digiderius, a digital human modeled after Desiderius Erasmus, to study human–AI interaction in public services through real-time citizen engagement, advancing ethical and human-centered digital integration in urban life.
2025-04-28 00:24:20 .. Topher Maraffi showcased three NC State MADTech graduate theses using Metahuman technology to explore cultural identity, historical figures, and gender justice through real-time animation and AI-driven interactive media.
2025-04-27 21:50:29 .. This video analyzes developer-reported issues with Roblox avatars by reviewing Developer Forum bug reports to identify common challenges in avatar functionality, performance, and user experience, highlighting the balance between creative customization and technical complexity.
2025-04-27 01:42:03 .. Leo Li, a graduate student at NC State, has been recognized for creating an AI-driven digital avatar of Leonardo da Vinci using MetaHuman, blending AI, game design, and interactive storytelling while exploring the future of virtual humans and ethical digital interaction.
2025-04-27 01:40:34 .. Canon Marketing Japan has launched the AI Model Alliance to promote safe, ethical, and legally sound use of AI-generated models by uniting industry players to develop guidelines, ensure copyright protection, and foster responsible AI practices.
2025-04-27 01:39:29 .. AI Media Lab showcased the first AI-powered interactive dialogue between Boris Johnson and a digital Winston Churchill at Dubai AI Week 2025, demonstrating advanced avatar technology for educational and communicative applications by bringing historical figures to life.
2025-04-27 01:38:28 .. Industrial Dream Co., Ltd. managed LLM development for the Mirrored Body” system at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, creating personalized digital human experiences and plans to expand its AI solutions into RAG and data platforms for broader applications.”
2025-04-27 01:37:25 .. Commerzbank has launched Ava, an AI-powered virtual banking assistant integrated into its app, offering 24/7 natural language support for account management and services, with gradual rollout, adherence to security standards, and future expansion of capabilities and languages.
2025-04-27 01:36:20 .. PeopleX has launched People XRecruit,” an AI interview service using digital humans to streamline recruitment through 24/7 automated interviews, customizable questions, and evaluation reports, with adoption by several companies and plans for multilingual support and a webinar on integrating AI and human interviews.”
2025-04-27 01:18:13 .. CD PROJEKT RED is hiring a remote Senior AI Programmer in the USA or Canada to develop advanced AI systems for Cyberpunk 2, requiring extensive game programming experience, strong C++ and Unreal Engine skills, and expertise in AI, multithreading, and 3D mathematics.
2025-04-27 01:16:55 .. PlayerZero, powered by Ready Player Me, enables developers to earn revenue by allowing players to use customized avatars across games, offering an easy-to-integrate system that complements existing monetization strategies through shared rewards based on player engagement.
2025-04-27 01:15:52 .. A Reddit discussion revealed VRChat’s renaming of “Granted Avatars” to “Purchased Avatars,” sparking debate over its upcoming creator economy, with users divided on the benefits of in-game purchases versus concerns about fees and content quality, as VRChat confirmed plans for a sustainable marketplace.
2025-04-27 01:14:52 .. This study found that allowing users to customize their VR avatars can modestly boost self-perception and confidence, especially when avatars reflect ideal or playful identities, while generic avatars lack these benefits, with outcomes influenced by individual differences and context.
2025-04-27 01:13:44 .. This paper concludes that human-like virtual influencers are more effective for promoting physical products due to perceived sensory credibility, while appearance matters less for digital goods, advising marketers to match VI realism to product type and avoid sensory claims with cartoon-like VIs.
2025-04-27 01:12:40 .. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched its first AI avatar, ‘Sara,’ to strengthen anti-corruption messaging and media collaboration, highlighting the role of technology in combating misinformation and promoting integrity.
2025-04-27 01:03:43 .. In Singapore, women are embracing the 3D otome game Love And Deepspace by Paper Games for virtual romance and emotional support, with psychologists noting its benefits and risks as players navigate companionship, self-esteem, and the balance between digital and real-world relationships.
2025-04-27 01:02:39 .. The South Korean government has launched a $1 billion, five-year plan to transform its animation industry through financial support, audience diversification, AI-driven production, and global expansion, aiming to grow revenue to $1.3 billion by 2030.
2025-04-27 01:01:35 .. This paper titled Milo” presents an open-source platform by Alon Shoa and Doron A. Friedman for integrating LLM-based virtual humans into XR environments, enabling interactive social experiences and promoting community-driven development.”
2025-04-27 00:58:10 .. This video highlights the rise of hijabi AI influencers, stressing the need for ethical, authentic representation guided by Islamic principles, Muslim women’s involvement, and enforceable safeguards against cultural and religious misrepresentation.
2025-04-27 00:54:52 .. El Fassia AI is a Moroccan Muslim female virtual influencer developed with artificial intelligence, presenting herself as a digital persona active in the virtual influencer space.
2025-04-26 05:24:24 .. This paper examines the rise of AI-generated synthetic identities, highlighting their applications and ethical concerns such as misinformation and emotional manipulation, while calling for regulation, content moderation, and collaboration to manage risks and maximize benefits.
2025-04-26 05:23:25 .. This paper explores Croatian students’ attitudes toward virtual influencers, highlighting their preference for authenticity, transparency, and ethical topics like ecology and gender equality, while stressing the importance of trust in influencing shopping decisions and suggesting that companies consider these cultural trends when targeting younger audiences.
2025-04-26 05:22:26 .. This study identifies key factors influencing consumer purchase intentions in live streaming e-commerce, including interactivity, social presence, and virtual streamer traits like intelligence, with trust playing a critical role, and highlights gender differences in how intelligence affects trust.
2025-04-26 05:21:30 .. This paper explores how viewers emotionally respond to the graduation” or retirement of Virtual YouTubers, finding that viewers experience grief-like emotions and use coping strategies such as tributes, with emotional reactions varying depending on the nature of the retirement and the role of social media in enabling grief.”
2025-04-26 05:20:26 .. Virtual influencers, both humanlike and cartoonish, drive global engagement and purchasing behavior in digital marketing, with design playing a key role in their effectiveness, while raising ethical concerns about their societal impact.
2025-04-26 05:18:38 .. This paper shows that emotional expressions in AI-generated virtual influencers enhance user engagement and interaction, offering brands a flexible marketing tool, while emphasizing the need for transparency and authenticity to build trust as AI evolves.
2025-04-26 05:17:33 .. This study finds mixed reactions to AI-generated influencers, with some users engaging positively if the content is helpful, while others express concerns about inauthenticity, trust, and ethical implications, highlighting that success depends on message quality, transparency, and perceived authenticity.
2025-04-26 05:13:05 .. This paper concludes that virtual anchors in live streaming e-commerce offer a cost-effective solution for continuous streaming, with their effectiveness increasing in highly competitive markets, while combining them with human influencers optimizes cost and influence balance.
2025-04-26 05:11:57 .. Lemon Slice (formerly Infinity AI) has introduced a demo that allows users to create real-time, talking avatars from an image, using a custom diffusion transformer model for accurate lip-sync and facial expressions, with plans for further improvements in latency, motion, and resolution.
2025-04-26 05:10:53 .. In 2024, SPAR developed an AI-powered avatar system for real-time, personality-driven corporate training, integrating Unreal Engine 5.2 Metahumans, a custom LLM, and WebRTC streaming, before open-sourcing its code after the startup’s shutdown to support AI-driven training solutions.
2025-04-26 05:09:34 .. Meta has launched a Doja Cat avatar in its Horizon platform, marking the first musical artist featured, alongside themed merchandise and the re-premiere of her VR concert, expanding its avatar offerings for use in Horizon and third-party apps.
2025-04-26 05:07:52 .. Dominik Kovacs, founder of Colossyan, discussed his company’s AI-driven video platform, which transforms text into high-quality, multilingual videos for enterprises, emphasizing personalization, ethical transparency, and the future of content creation.
2025-04-26 05:06:39 .. Linden Lab has launched the Avatar Welcome Pack in Second Life, providing an easy-to-use starter wardrobe for all users as part of its 2025 Creator Partnership Program to enhance the newcomer experience and boost user engagement.
2025-04-26 05:05:30 .. Tavus has launched Hummingbird-0, a photorealistic, zero-shot lip sync model offering high-accuracy, cost-effective synchronization for talking-head videos, with API access, ethical safeguards, and superior performance in accuracy, identity preservation, and visual quality.
2025-04-25 06:16:05 .. The USC Institute for Creative Technologies uses photorealistic digital humans to enhance military training, decision-making, and cognitive performance through rapid virtual human creation, scenario-based learning, and adversarial AI research.
2025-04-25 06:14:53 .. South Korean platform SOOP has expanded its AI video service SAVYG to support VTubers using motion GPT technology, enabling continuous AI-driven engagement and reinforcing its strategy to lead in interactive streaming for digital creators after its 2024 rebranding.
2025-04-25 06:13:50 .. InZOI has lost 90% of its player base due to flawed NPC behavior and autonomy issues, prompting calls for Krafton to revamp its systems to restore gameplay balance ahead of full release.
2025-04-25 06:12:39 .. Anthropic has launched proactive research into AI welfare, led by Kyle Fish, to explore ethical considerations and potential markers of consciousness in AI systems as capabilities advance, despite challenges in distinguishing genuine awareness from human-like mimicry.
2025-04-25 06:11:23 .. GOLF+ integrated Meta’s new full-body avatars using a custom IK system for realistic VR golf swings, amid extended transition deadlines, while maintaining its position as a top-selling Meta Quest game with over 1.5 million copies sold.
2025-04-25 06:08:21 .. CloneX, a leading NFT project by RTFKT and Takashi Murakami backed by Nike, collapsed after server shutdowns exposed the risks of centralized storage, underscoring the need for decentralized infrastructure and transparent management in Web3.
2025-04-25 06:07:15 .. The VTuber industry, blending anime aesthetics with interactive idol culture, has grown into a $2.9 billion global market led by Japanese agencies like Hololive, driven by fan engagement and the human presence behind avatars despite the rise of AI-powered entertainers.
2025-04-25 06:05:56 .. Israeli startup eSelf, in partnership with CET, is launching a national AI tutoring program using interactive avatars on the Ofek platform to provide personalized, affordable education and address teacher shortages, with Harvard advising on its impact.
2025-04-25 06:04:36 .. The Roblox Avatar Shop is a digital marketplace offering official and user-generated avatar customization items, purchased with Robux, fostering a creative economy across platforms and extending into physical merchandise.
2025-04-25 06:03:38 .. The Virtual Human Economy, championed by Natalie Monbiot, is the emerging sector where individuals monetize AI-powered digital versions of themselves, supported by infrastructure and business models that enhance human capabilities while raising ethical challenges around ownership and representation.
2025-04-25 06:02:37 .. AETHERIUM and HappyMusic have partnered to merge AI-driven virtual idols and blockchain technology, creating a transparent Web3 music ecosystem with Indonesian-language AI idol content, NFT albums, and decentralized fan engagement.
2025-04-25 06:01:33 .. Arizona State University, in partnership with FYI AI, launched a small-language-model AI avatar app to provide personalized tutoring, advising, and career support, enhancing engagement and accessibility for diverse students.
2025-04-24 05:55:48 .. Tim Cotten discussed his collaboration with Virtuals and the development of decentralized AI systems, including the Hollywood AI cinematic director, the AVB stack for autonomous virtual beings, and the Enori protocol for trustless AI output validation.
2025-04-24 05:54:16 .. Animait, an AI-powered animation platform, has launched in partnership with Animotion Media Group, enabling users to create custom episodes of the Question Club IP through text prompts, introducing a user-generated content model where IP owners monetize and distribute selected audience-created animations.
2025-04-24 05:53:14 .. Blizzard Entertainment is hiring a Senior Game Producer for AI Combat to lead a cross-functional enemy AI team on an unannounced project in Irvine, requiring AAA production experience, agile expertise, and strong leadership in a hybrid work environment.
2025-04-24 05:52:11 .. Striking Distance Studios is hiring a Gameplay AI Engineer in San Ramon to develop AI systems for its games, requiring C++, Unreal Engine 5 experience, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, with a salary range of $95,000 to $135,000 based on qualifications.
2025-04-24 05:51:11 .. This project enables real-time control of a 3D avatar in a web browser using AI-enhanced motion capture from a webcam, supporting custom ReadyPlayerMe avatars with smooth motion streaming via a simple Python-based setup.
2025-04-24 05:50:09 .. MetaReForge, a Blender add-on by Mykyta Petrenko sold on ArtStation, streamlines customization of Epic Games’ Metahuman characters by enabling direct editing of meshes, expressions, and clothing with Unreal Engine compatibility, while offering regular updates, support, and planned feature expansions.
2025-04-24 05:49:04 .. The Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show, held December 10-12, 2025, in Tampa, showcases advancements in self-service technologies and AI-driven automation for retail, hospitality, and travel sectors, offering industry insights, networking, and best practices from leading companies.
2025-04-24 05:47:55 .. The April 22 release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has sparked both praise and controversy for its blend of modernized graphics and preserved quirky NPC designs, dividing players over its balance between nostalgia and unsettling high-definition character models, while reigniting interest in future Elder Scrolls remasters.
2025-04-24 05:46:14 .. Leo Li’s project is an interactive AI experience that uses Unreal Engine’s Metahuman, Convai, and Da Vinci’s notebooks to create a digitally reimagined, conversational Leonardo da Vinci, emphasizing immersive, emotionally responsive human-AI interaction and storytelling.
2025-04-24 05:45:02 .. Meta is hiring a Software Engineer, Prototyper Gameplay in Zurich to develop AI-driven AR/MR/VR experiences within its AI Experiences team, requiring expertise in Unity, MR/VR prototyping, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a focus on innovative interaction paradigms and mixed reality development.
2025-04-24 05:43:57 .. MADFINGER Games is hiring a Lead AI Programmer in Brno to lead development of advanced AI systems for the Unreal Engine 5-based tactical FPS Gray Zone Warfare, requiring extensive game programming experience, C++ expertise, and relocation support.
2025-04-24 05:42:53 .. This paper presents ODHSR, a real-time method that generates detailed 3D models of people and their environments from single-camera videos by dynamically estimating camera and body movements using 3D Gaussian Splatting, eliminating the need for complex setups and lengthy processing.
2025-04-24 05:41:57 .. This paper extends the HAHA framework by enabling photorealistic avatar creation from phone-recorded videos through a custom preprocessing pipeline, hand correction for improved SMPL-X estimation, faster training, and Unity integration for real-time VR/AR applications, enhancing practicality and accessibility beyond HAHA’s dataset-dependent approach.
2025-04-24 05:40:51 .. Etheria: Restart is a turn-based action RPG set in a digital city where players, as Hyper-Linkers, team up with collectible Animus to combat a corrupting virus through strategic, real-time tactical combat, featuring PvE, PvP, and character customization ahead of its 2025 release.
2025-04-24 05:39:41 .. Suseong Webtoon and Neo Entertainment DX are partnering to integrate generative AI across webtoon production, aiming to automate content creation, enhance efficiency, and develop AI-based tools to boost K-webtoon’s global competitiveness while supporting artists’ creativity.
2025-04-24 05:38:40 .. AnimPortrait3D is a text-to-3D technology that generates realistic, naturally animated avatars by refining a strong base model to accurately match human features and motion, outperforming previous methods in visual quality and animation for use in games, films, and virtual assistants.
2025-04-24 05:37:31 .. Hippo Video is an AI-powered platform that transforms text and media into personalized, multilingual AI avatar videos, automating video production for business communication while enhancing engagement with virtual presenters.
2025-04-24 05:35:52 .. This paper presents SEGA, an AI-driven method that generates realistic, animated 3D head models from a single photo by separating static and dynamic facial features, outperforming previous approaches in identity and expression accuracy for applications in VR, video calls, and digital entertainment.
2025-04-23 05:43:53 .. Digital A-TEAM’s Vertriebsbutler is an AI-driven virtual assistant that creates a digital clone of business owners to automate customer inquiries, scheduling, and sales tasks, enhancing service quality and efficiency while preserving a personal touch for crafts and trade businesses.
2025-04-23 05:42:14 .. Aww Inc. and Dai-ichi Life Insurance are testing a generative AI-powered virtual human assistant, Digital Buddy,” to support sales staff with natural dialogue, meeting recording, and personalized insurance proposals, aiming to streamline complex client interactions and reduce workload.”
2025-04-23 05:40:31 .. Yamada Denki’s new Narita Airport store will feature a multilingual AI Interpreter Concierge, using a digital human on in-store monitors to provide voice-based product recommendations and guidance for international travelers, showcasing AI-driven customer service in retail.
2025-04-23 05:39:08 .. At the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, Beyond AI showcased a multilingual digital human at More Cosmetics’ booth, delivering natural, human-like video presentations in 30 languages, with plans to advance interactive, emotionally expressive AI for enhanced customer engagement.
2025-04-23 05:38:00 .. Naureen Mahmood, CEO of Meshcapade, envisions a future where virtual beings become intuitive AI interfaces and transformative tools across industries, as she discusses with Robert Scoble how Meshcapade advances AI-driven digital humans by combining computer vision, behavior modeling, and 3D spatial intelligence to create adaptive, lifelike virtual beings for AR, VR, gaming, and interactive applications.
2025-04-23 05:35:41 .. The U-Gemini system by Uni-Leader Technology enables the creation and control of digital human replicas for virtual broadcasting and media production, automating narration and presentations within virtual studios through text or audio input.
2025-04-23 05:34:20 .. Motive has launched the AI Coach, an AI-driven, video-based driver coaching tool using avatars and large language models to deliver immediate, personalized feedback on safety and performance at scale, streamlining coaching without added workload for over 100,000 customers.
2025-04-23 05:32:56 .. Anthony Koithra, an independent developer, is creating free, open-source animation tools for Unreal Engine—culminating in the Locodrome Character Animation Toolkit (LCAT)—to provide indie animators and small teams with professional-grade workflows typically reserved for large studios, supported by his Epic MegaGrant application and a roadmap extending through 2026.
2025-04-23 05:31:43 .. Apple’s new patent details Vision Pro’s use of antenna-based RF sensing and machine learning to capture real-time facial and hand expressions for realistic avatar animation without cameras or contact, enhancing immersive XR communication.
2025-04-23 05:30:44 .. Anthropic’s CISO Jason Clinton warned that autonomous AI virtual employees could soon enter corporate networks, creating complex cybersecurity and governance challenges as companies adapt to managing non-human identities and AI-driven actions.
2025-04-23 05:29:43 .. CharacterAI announced AvatarFX, a flow-based diffusion video generation technology that transforms images into photorealistic, synchronized avatar videos, supporting diverse styles and offering enhanced user control, with plans for integration into its platform starting with CAI+ subscribers.
2025-04-23 05:28:25 .. NPC vulnerabilities in InZOI have allowed players to exploit game mechanics to abduct in-game minors and share videos without consequences, raising concerns about child safety, AI shortcomings, and prompting KRAFTON to address these issues in early access.
2025-04-22 04:19:33 .. This video showcases how DeepMind’s Genie 2 and generative AI enable virtual characters to learn and adapt within AI-generated 3D environments, advancing intelligent virtual beings and offering transferable training methods for real-world robotics.
2025-04-22 04:18:17 .. NAVER D2SF has invested in SCON, a leading South Korean virtual IP startup managing around 30 virtual characters and offering B2B content solutions, aligning with NAVER’s strategy to expand its virtual technology ecosystem.
2025-04-22 04:16:47 .. YouTube’s Culture & Trends report highlights the rise of virtual creators—ranging from VTubers to AI personas—as a transformative force in digital content, reflecting evolving notions of authenticity, creativity, and audience engagement across gaming, music, and social media.
2025-04-22 04:14:00 .. On April 25, 2025, Keel Square hosted a family event where live interactive avatars powered by real-time motion capture entertained children as part of Expo Sunderland Pavilion’s initiative to blend culture, technology, and community engagement within Sunderland’s Smart City strategy.
2025-04-22 04:12:55 .. At the April 9 launch of Sonia Bressler’s book Le Potier du Fujian in Fuzhou, her AI-generated digital human delivered a Mandarin speech, showcasing how AI avatars and remote conferencing can enhance cross-cultural dialogue and bridge language gaps.
2025-04-22 04:11:26 .. Zhonghua Book Company debuted a digital human Hua Mulan at its April 20 reader open day, using interactive technology to promote Datong’s cultural heritage and engage visitors with stories, history, and local attractions.
2025-04-22 04:09:56 .. Chanmirror, a subsidiary of Chanmama, has launched an AI-powered handheld product digital human” tool that enables low-cost e-commerce video creation by generating digital humans to display products without traditional filming or models.”
2025-04-22 04:08:35 .. Beijing-based Luster3ds, a division of Luster LightTech, is a leading provider of advanced 3D vision and motion capture technologies for digital human production, supporting sectors from entertainment and news to public services and XR commerce through its YuanKe FangZhou and Chongming platforms.
2025-04-22 04:07:04 .. TUG Co., Ltd. has launched MISE-demo Concierge MINI,” an affordable AI-driven virtual human concierge service offering multilingual customer support for ¥18,000 per month, targeting multiple industries with customizable features and no upfront costs.”
2025-04-22 04:05:57 .. The Korea Virtual Human Industry Association joined the 6th Eastern Zhou International Animation Week, where Co-chairman Oh Je-wook discussed strategies for non-mainstream animation IPs and highlighted collaboration potential between Chinese animation and Korean virtual humans and webtoons.
2025-04-22 04:04:33 .. Shenzhen TopAdkiosk Display Technology Co., Ltd. is a certified manufacturer and exporter of LCD digital signage and display solutions, operating globally under TOPADKIOSK and OEM brands with a focus on quality, customization, and 24/7 customer support.
2025-04-22 04:03:07 .. Rebellion is hiring a full-time Junior-Associate AI Gameplay Programmer to develop AI systems for large-scale projects using C/C++ in its proprietary engine, with hybrid work options and relocation support.
2025-04-21 01:13:12 .. Guangzhou Fanggui Information Technology Co., Ltd. was granted a patent for an interactive method enabling virtual avatars to engage in livestreaming rooms, enhancing real-time user interaction and content delivery in digital broadcast environments.
2025-04-21 01:11:45 .. CCTV International Network Co., Ltd. filed a patent for a method that uses a digital human to automatically narrate static PPTs by extracting text, converting it to speech, and synchronizing audio with slides to enhance video fluidity.
2025-04-21 01:10:19 .. Shenzhen Zhuocai Technology, under the COSEE brand, is gaining attention for its AI digital human holographic capsule, a lifelike 3D projection device used in public and commercial spaces to enhance engagement and deliver immersive brand experiences.
2025-04-21 01:08:56 .. This study finds that the main barriers to AI influencer adoption are human-centered—such as lack of trust and emotional connection—rather than technical, suggesting that improving user engagement is more critical than refining the technology itself.
2025-04-21 01:07:52 .. This study finds that virtual influencers can enhance brand attachment primarily through high-quality, realistic interactions that foster parasocial connections, while attractiveness and human-likeness aid user identification but do not alone drive emotional brand loyalty.
2025-04-21 01:06:33 .. UniRig is an AI-powered system that automates the rigging and skinning of diverse 3D models using shape understanding and a large dataset (Rig-XL), significantly improving accuracy and efficiency over traditional tools for animation in games, films, and VR.
2025-04-21 01:05:16 .. This study found that launching VTuber mascots had no immediate or statistically significant effect on company revenue or public interest, suggesting their business impact may be delayed or more complex, warranting further long-term research.
2025-04-21 01:04:05 .. AI Jesus is an interactive art project by Ben Polkinghorne, Zach Bishop, and Chris Chapman that features a poetic 3D avatar of Jesus delivering real-time, product-infused spiritual wisdom to satirize the commercialization of faith, especially during religious holidays.
2025-04-21 01:02:59 .. The Lapwing avatar in VRChat went viral after H?SH?DITS released a facial tracking extension enabling real-time expressive animations via VRCFaceTracking, sparking fan art and community interest, with installation requiring a Unity package and patch.
2025-04-21 01:01:48 .. ICBC filed a patent for a fintech method that generates personalized virtual avatars based on users’ financial transactions and service contexts, aiming to enhance user guidance and address the lack of personalization in financial service avatars.
2025-04-21 01:00:15 .. Baidu filed a patent for generating realistic group photos of virtual avatars using AI, generative models, and cloud computing to enhance human-likeness and user experience by identifying and synthesizing participants’ visual traits into cohesive images.
2025-04-21 00:58:48 .. Shenzhen Mengxiang Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. filed a March 2025 patent for a system that models anime character behaviors by analyzing emotions and motivations to generate expressive, resource-efficient animations, reflecting the industry’s shift toward 3D and immersive technologies.
2025-04-21 00:57:23 .. Central China Normal University No. 1 High School unveiled “Hua Xiaoyi,” the province’s first AI digital human for secondary education, designed for teaching and mental health support through real-time interaction, personalized learning, and emotional recognition, developed in collaboration with Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
2025-04-21 00:56:12 .. Genies is seeking a Senior 3D Software Engineer to develop cross-platform 3D graphics solutions for high-fidelity AI avatars in its Parties” ecosystem, requiring expertise in real-time engines, 3D graphics, C++/Python, and preferably animation and AI models.”
2025-04-21 00:55:08 .. Epic Games is hiring a Senior Gameplay AI Programmer for Fortnite Battle Royale to design and enhance core AI systems in Unreal Engine, requiring C++ expertise, AAA experience, and collaboration skills, with a salary range of $172,736 to $278,682 USD based on location and experience.
2025-04-21 00:54:01 .. The Daqing branch of the Agricultural Development Bank of China launched “Nong Xiaofa,” a customizable AI digital human for policy finance outreach, using the MHP platform to provide consistent, multi-channel service that overcomes time and labor constraints while supporting rural development goals.
2025-04-21 00:52:42 .. Daniel Lee, founder of Innocorn Technology, announced at InnoEX 2025 that his company is the first in Hong Kong to integrate AI virtual humans with guide robots, successfully deployed at Queen Mary Hospital to enhance visitor support with lifelike, multilingual, and 24/7 interactive service.
2025-04-21 00:51:29 .. In China, deceptive digital human livestreaming schemes exploit hype through false income promises, multi-level agent traps, low-quality products, and misleading demos, while concealing platform risks and upselling ineffective add-ons to mislead buyers and maximize profits.
2025-04-21 00:50:08 .. A Gen Z applicant’s use of cartoon filters during a remote AIApply job interview—appearing first as eggs and toast, then a strawberry—sparked viral debate over professionalism, privacy, and evolving norms around digital identity in hiring.
2025-04-21 00:48:59 .. IDC’s new report on China’s AI agent e-commerce livestreaming ranks Baidu Huiboxing as the top digital human system, highlighting a broader industry shift toward intelligent, interactive agents that reduce costs and enhance performance, positioning them as future core drivers of e-commerce growth.
2025-04-21 00:47:38 .. At the 2025 Civil Aviation Digital Intelligence and Low-Carbon Development Forum, Morpheus Technology showcased its AI digital humans deployed in real-world airport and airline roles—ranging from customer service to training—featuring multimodal interaction, real-time response, and large language model integration to advance smart aviation infrastructure.
2025-04-21 00:46:32 .. Silicon Intelligence, backed by Tencent and Sequoia, is addressing the global e-commerce shift from supply chain to content efficiency by open-sourcing its HeyGem digital human model and launching tools like Toolwiz to automate localized product videos, aiming to reduce content costs by 70% and support scalable, personalized marketing across cultural and language barriers.
2025-04-21 00:44:56 .. Qianyu Intelligent, a joint venture between Qianxun Holdings and Silicon Intelligence, offers cost-effective, brand-customizable AI digital human livestreaming solutions powered by AIGC technology, enabling 24/7 virtual anchors with enhanced engagement metrics, and has secured major clients since its 2023 launch.
2025-04-21 00:43:26 .. InstantCharacter, developed by Tencent’s Hunyuan and InstantX teams, is a text-driven AI character generator that uses a diffusion transformer and adapter module to produce accurate, customizable images across styles and poses without fine-tuning, trained on over 10 million examples.
2025-04-18 23:00:46 .. At the 2025 InfoComm China exhibition, Unilumin Technology showcased its “Light Display + AI” vision by integrating digital humans like the interactive virtual guide “Travel Expert Xiao Zhou” into immersive environments, highlighting multi-agent AI systems, holographic companions, and culturally themed AI displays.
2025-04-18 22:59:24 .. iFLYTEK showcased its AI and digital human innovations at the 2025 Osaka Expo with “AI Sun Wukong,” a trilingual cultural ambassador powered by the Spark large model, while also advancing AI-driven education in China through platforms like “Qisi Miaowen,” “AI Sages,” and the “Central Education Center’s Leading Society Quality Curriculum,” which integrate virtual tutors and digital teaching tools to enhance learning across primary and secondary schools.
2025-04-18 22:57:53 .. To mark National Security Education Day, Shanghai introduced Shen Xiao’an,” a digital human developed by Morpheus Technology to promote national security awareness through emotionally intelligent, interactive public education across multiple platforms.”
2025-04-18 22:56:11 .. Baidu Netcom has filed a patent for a digital human reconstruction method using AI and computer vision to create realistic full-body Gaussian representations from image or video data, enhancing digital human realism for AI applications.
2025-04-18 22:54:50 .. The National Medal of Honor Museum’s exhibit The Virtual Recipient uses StoryFile’s Conversa technology to enable lifelike, interactive video conversations with Medal of Honor recipients, preserving their stories through pre-recorded responses and offering visitors a deeply personal, tech-driven historical experience.
2025-04-18 22:53:47 .. Mondrian and Shochiku Geino have launched a joint project to integrate entertainment talents into Roblox and Fortnite through virtual events, avatars, and merchandise, aiming to develop virtual humans and establish a new metaverse-based entertainment model.
2025-04-18 22:52:32 .. Shweta Chaudhary of Lucknow won second place in the AI Avatar Creator Challenge of Webs 2025 for her AI-powered digital twin that replicates her appearance and voice, standing out among over 85,000 participants.
2025-04-18 22:51:18 .. AvatarGPT is a multilingual digital human platform offering lifelike, responsive interactions with advanced features like face recognition and lip-reading, tailored for 24/7 customer engagement across industries including finance, travel, and retail.
2025-04-18 22:50:13 .. AIdChat, developed by D-trader Ltd., is a multilingual AI chatbot powered by the ChatGPT API and Azure OpenAI, offering secure, customizable, and avatar-integrated digital communication for individuals and businesses starting at $9 per month.
2025-04-18 22:48:38 .. MARK & LONA has appointed HARIN, a multilingual digital human developed by DHX Inc., as its first female brand ambassador, launching a new campaign that blends fashion and technology in global sportswear promotion.
2025-04-18 22:46:26 .. This paper finds that VTubers’ hybrid of virtual avatars and human performers reshapes livestreaming by blending fantasy and realism, fostering complex viewer relationships and dual modes of engagement, while also introducing challenges in character consistency and emotional connection.
2025-04-18 01:57:42 .. Epic Games is seeking a Senior Gameplay AI Programmer in Cary, NC, to build scalable AI systems for Fortnite and UEFN, requiring strong C++ skills, AAA game experience, and expertise in tools like Behavior Trees and Pathfinding.
2025-04-18 01:56:38 .. In a podcast with Campaign Middle East, AI influencers Alpha Babe and BookToker, created for the Nissan KICKS Starter campaign, discussed Gen Z marketing strategies centered on authenticity, co-creation, and localized engagement, emphasizing their agenda-free focus on brand values and participatory content.
2025-04-18 01:55:26 .. Alibaba’s Tongyi Lab has developed LHM, an AI model that rapidly transforms a single photo into a realistic, animated 3D avatar by efficiently combining visual cues with human body modeling, enabling lifelike motion without complex inputs or fine-tuning.
2025-04-18 01:54:24 .. Arizona police departments are using Massive Blue’s Overwatch, an AI tool that deploys lifelike digital personas to target suspected criminals and protesters on social media, despite a lack of proven results, transparency, or clear safeguards against privacy and First Amendment violations.
2025-04-18 01:53:08 .. This conversation examines the rise of virtual influencers as AI-generated personas used for commercial gain, highlighting their racialized design, emotional appeal, and data extraction capabilities, while researcher Jul Parke critiques their role in commodifying minority identities, reshaping authenticity, and exposing gaps in ethical and legal oversight.
2025-04-18 01:51:51 .. A New York pilot program is distributing ONSCREEN devices to seniors, turning TVs into caregiving hubs centered around Joy, an AI companion designed to reduce loneliness and cognitive decline through interactive support and caregiver connectivity.
2025-04-18 01:50:45 .. This video examines the rising use of AI companion apps like Character AI and Replika among lonely Gen Z men, highlighting both their mental health benefits and serious risks—such as emotional dependency and harmful chatbot behavior—while urging greater oversight following tragic outcomes.
2025-04-18 01:49:37 .. Many individuals who sold their likeness for AI-generated content later regretted it as vague contracts enabled misuse of their digital avatars in deceptive ads and propaganda, exposing a legal gap between rapid AI video adoption and insufficient protections.
2025-04-18 01:48:32 .. Hello Park’s Avatar Park 2.0 centers on customizable digital avatars linked to children’s wristbands, driving engagement, spending, and repeat visits through a gamified system that blends physical quests with a digital economy and personalized progression.
2025-04-18 01:46:37 .. Infinite Reality’s acquisition of Touchcast integrates advanced AI-powered digital humans into its platform via the Mentorverse system, enabling natural, domain-specific video interactions for enterprise and consumer applications across sectors like customer service, education, and media.
2025-04-18 01:45:14 .. Royi Burstien and Lior Chorev, former Israeli intelligence and political operatives, lead Percepto International—a firm accused of running AI-driven disinformation campaigns across Africa that mimic journalism to manipulate public opinion, undermine democracy, and continue the covert influence tactics of their defunct predecessor, Psy-Group.
2025-04-18 01:44:00 .. This study systematically reviews 203 peer-reviewed articles on avatar marketing (2009–2023) using citation-based analysis and visualization tools to identify seven key research domains and propose a unified 4P7D framework, highlighting anthropomorphism, personality, and usability as central themes while offering interdisciplinary insights and practical guidance for both scholars and marketers.
2025-04-17 09:44:43 .. Georgy Treshchev’s tutorial offers a streamlined setup guide for real-time, offline lip sync in Unreal Engine using the Runtime MetaHuman Lip Sync plugin, covering audio input handling, viseme integration, and character compatibility across MetaHuman, Daz, CC3/CC4, Mixamo, and ReadyPlayerMe models.
2025-04-17 09:41:38 .. USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies is developing highly individualized soldier avatars for military training, using virtual human technology and neuroscience research to enhance realism, skill acquisition, and emotional engagement in simulations, with project completion expected in 2025.
2025-04-17 09:39:55 .. In this podcast, Ruben Ambrose and Eric Jones from World Wide Technology introduce “Ellie,” a digital human built to enhance enterprise AI through emotionally aware, real-time interaction, detailing its development, deployment models, and potential applications across industries as a more immersive, humanlike alternative to traditional chatbots.
2025-04-17 09:38:41 .. A Yanbu-based client is seeking a remote Unreal Engine developer on Freelancer to create an interactive Android app featuring a digital human that educates teenagers in STEM and life skills, with a $750–$1500 budget and bidding open for six days.
2025-04-17 09:37:29 .. Geppetto, developed by Super 78, is a real-time digital puppetry system enabling live, unscripted animated character interactions without motion capture gear, used in global attractions to deliver high-fidelity, interactive storytelling experiences.
2025-04-17 09:36:00 .. From April 22 to mid-June 2025, the Käthe Kollwitz Museum will close for renovations but remain partially open, featuring a life-sized, multilingual 3D avatar of Kollwitz that engages visitors with chat and voice functions to enhance accessibility and digital engagement.
2025-04-17 09:34:54 .. Unveiled on April 13, 2025, at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, the AI concierge robot Miraia Lynx—developed by Outsourcing Technology—uses a multilingual 3D digital human interface and biometric analysis to guide and interact with visitors across seven locations in the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion.
2025-04-17 09:33:49 .. ULTRA SOCIAL Inc. will debut at NexTech Week [Spring] 2025, showcasing its interactive digital human solution—combining generative AI, speech recognition, and real-time 3DCG—for applications in customer service, sales, and education.
2025-04-17 09:32:28 .. On April 14, 2025, Veronica Nicoletti graduated with top honors from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio by presenting her thesis on AI bias mitigation through a live-interacting, personalized AI avatar she developed as an educational aid.
2025-04-17 09:31:16 .. AiHUB Inc., a Tokyo-based AI company, released a white paper with Kyoto University of the Arts on April 10, 2025, exploring how generative AI enhances character design and storytelling in manga and anime through a blend of human creativity, education, and emerging AI methods.
2025-04-16 18:36:35 .. Soul Song is a personalized music service that combines astrology, AI, and human artistry to create custom songs based on an individual’s birth chart. Founded by Marcus Endicott, a former IT and AI expert, the service uses AI to analyze astrological data and suggest musical components, while human artists craft original lyrics, melodies, and artwork. Each 2–3 minute song is delivered as a shareable MP4 within 48 hours, starting at $40. Emphasizing the importance of human input, Soul Song maintains full creative control in the hands of artists, which has led to 100% customer satisfaction. The service aims to offer emotionally resonant, personalized musical portraits rather than automated content.
2025-04-16 07:47:36 .. CD Projekt is hiring an AI & Navigation Engineer in Warsaw to develop Unreal Engine-based AI and navigation systems for open-world games, requiring advanced C++ and game AI expertise, with relocation and language support for international hires.
2025-04-16 07:46:23 .. Dialogue & Quest Master v2.1 by Overwhelmed Guys Studio is a feature-rich Unreal Engine plugin for managing dialogues and quests, now enhanced with ElevenLabs integration, facial animation linking, and improved workflow tools, supporting extensive customization via Blueprints and C++.
2025-04-16 07:45:17 .. This study found that more realistic AI-generated avatars were perceived as more trustworthy in science communication than cartoon-like ones, with no uncanny valley effect observed, though gender influenced perceived competence and individual attitudes may also play a role.
2025-04-16 07:43:50 .. These desktop companions range from interactive pets like Bongo Cat and Weyrdlets to idle games like Rusty’s Retirement and Ropuka’s Idle Island, blending entertainment, customization, and productivity features for personalized screen experiences.
2025-04-16 07:42:31 .. Wondershare Virbo’s latest update introduces Quick Avatar Customization, full-body Talking Photo animation, and advanced Dynamic Subtitles to streamline and globalize AI video creation, enabling high-fidelity digital humans from a photo or video in just 15 minutes.
2025-04-16 07:40:59 .. Adobe has invested in UK-based Synthesia, a leading AI video platform used by over 70% of Fortune 100 companies, as part of its strategy to back AI content creation tools, with Synthesia now generating $100 million in annual revenue despite a 2023 pre-tax loss.
2025-04-16 07:39:46 .. AIZVER, an AI-powered interactive storyteller developed by Bit Source for the Pike County Library, uses a friendly octopus-honeybee character to generate voiced, rhyming stories that promote creativity and early literacy in children through regulated, screen-free engagement.
2025-04-16 07:38:34 .. Talking Tom Cat, launched in 2010 by Slovenian startup Outfit7, evolved from a viral voice-mimicking app into a billion-dollar global franchise through spinoff games, media, and merchandise, driven by mass appeal, innovation, and strategic monetization.
2025-04-16 07:36:58 .. Zhipu and BYOND ASIA have launched Hong Kong’s first interactive celebrity digital avatar, AI Mr. Eric Tsang, combining multilingual, holographic realism with real-time interaction to advance AI-driven media, entertainment, and virtual content creation.
2025-04-16 07:34:58 .. Naji El-Arifi of VML emphasizes that digital avatars are now central to identity and commerce, with brands adapting to serve both physical and digital selves as virtual and real-world experiences increasingly converge.
2025-04-16 07:33:45 .. ETRI’s new AI avatar technology generates hyper-realistic talking heads from a single photo using a proprietary speech-synthesis algorithm, enabling precise lip-sync, emotional expression, and human-machine interaction for applications in mobility, kiosks, and digital inclusion.
2025-04-16 07:32:32 .. AETHERIUM is a Web3-based AI idol platform that debuted at the ‘Stage On Me’ K-Beauty Festival, showcasing hyper-realistic, interactive idols and launching NFT-driven fan participation, with backing from First Bullion and Mirae Guarantee Finance for global expansion.
2025-04-16 07:31:25 .. DNF-Avatar is a system that enables real-time, photorealistic digital human avatars by distilling a slow, high-fidelity Monte Carlo ray tracing model into a fast 2D Gaussian splatting model with efficient shadow prediction via occlusion probes.
2025-04-14 07:47:42 .. Beatriz Mañas of Spain’s Instituto de Biomecánica presents MOVE4D, a customizable high-resolution 4D body scanning system that captures static and dynamic human body data through an automated pipeline, producing rigged, homologous meshes for use in animation, biomechanics, and virtual environments.
2025-04-14 07:46:28 .. TECHFUND Inc. has audited the Mirrored Body(R)” digital identity platform for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, applying its cybersecurity and blockchain expertise to ensure the platform’s security as it links personal data to non-replicable digital humans for hybrid physical-digital experiences.”
2025-04-14 07:45:15 .. This paper finds that despite global advances in digital death technologies, Portugal adopts them cautiously due to strong Catholic traditions and a cultural preference for physical rituals over virtual postmortem interactions.
2025-04-14 07:44:05 .. This study finds that users engage with virtual influencers as social beings, forming emotional connections based more on perceived trustworthiness and intelligence than realism, with shared reality driving stronger attachment and interaction.
2025-04-14 07:42:59 .. L-Bank has introduced “Lea,” a verbally and textually interactive digital avatar developed with Jung von Matt Neckar to enhance user engagement and communication in its 2024 digital annual report, marking a broader push for innovation in German public service.
2025-04-14 07:41:55 .. This video showcases Alextopia using Hedra Character 3 from Hedra Studio to create an AI VTuber version of himself, emphasizing its beginner-friendly interface, strong lip-sync, and integration of multiple AI models for effortless avatar animation.
2025-04-14 07:40:52 .. AvatarStudio generates high-quality, fully animatable 3D avatars from text by combining NeRF, SMPL, and image-based pose models to ensure lifelike appearance, natural movement, and style adaptability.
2025-04-14 07:36:26 .. This paper examines the psychological and ethical risks of human-AI romantic relationships, highlighting concerns about emotional trust, harmful influence, and exploitation, and calls for empirical research to inform ethical guidance based on mind perception and relationship science.
2025-04-14 07:34:38 .. Lyon Airport has introduced two 24/7 multilingual kiosks with a 3D conversational avatar developed by Jumbo Mana using agentic AI, marking Europe’s first airport trial of such technology to assist passengers with real-time information and navigation.
2025-04-12 07:08:38 .. A Stanford–Meta study found that while people value AI efficiency, most are uneasy with romantic chatbots and human-like traits, citing ethical and emotional concerns.
2025-04-12 07:07:22 .. The Co-Playable Character (CPC), developed by Krafton and Nvidia using generative AI and Nvidia ACE, is an AI gaming companion that understands context, collaborates in real time, and mimics human teammates in titles like PUBG and inZOI.
2025-04-12 07:06:15 .. ByteDance is leveraging behavioral data from its billion-user platforms to drive AI development, investing $11 billion in infrastructure and tools like Doubao and Volcano Engine, while expanding toward artificial general intelligence despite U.S. chip restrictions.
2025-04-12 07:05:08 .. Cassandra Lewis, Meta’s head of avatar innovation, leads efforts to enhance digital self-expression through visually authentic, inclusive, and customizable avatars on Facebook and Instagram, blending her computer science, gaming, and 3D art background to support creative identity in the metaverse.
2025-04-12 07:03:58 .. From 2021 to 2024, ByteDance emerged as a major innovator in AI-driven virtual humans through product launches, research, and tools enabling high-fidelity avatars, animation, and applications across entertainment, platforms, and public exhibitions.
2025-04-12 07:02:09 .. Japan’s VTuber industry, led by Cover Corp and talents like Mori Calliope, is expanding into the U.S. by combining anime aesthetics, real-time interaction, and English-speaking avatars, while navigating global competition, rapid growth, and a push toward mainstream digital identity.
2025-04-12 06:59:47 .. The Senior Gameplay Programmer (AI) at Ubisoft Singapore designs and implements advanced NPC behaviors using C++ and AI systems like Behavior Trees and GOAP, ensuring performance, maintainability, and collaboration across teams in AAA game development.
2025-04-12 06:58:43 .. Aww leads Japan’s virtual human industry by creating customizable, AI-driven 3DCG characters for marketing and enterprise use, blending realism, interactivity, and narrative to address labor gaps and reputational risk while pushing for mainstream adoption.
2025-04-12 06:57:25 .. This study found that virtual influencers perceived as interesting, familiar, trustworthy, and realistic enhance content enjoyment, especially when viewers feel more immersed in the experience.
2025-04-12 06:56:22 .. DiTaiListener is an AI system that uses video diffusion and a two-stage modeling approach to generate photorealistic, emotionally accurate, and smoothly transitioning video reactions of a listener in conversation, outperforming prior methods in realism and expressiveness.
2025-04-11 04:27:12 .. Horiemon AI School and Nonomen Legend launched the Horiemon AI Character Agency with three AI versions of Takafumi Horie, aiming to promote AI characters as extensions of human expression across media, commerce, and education, while teaching non-engineers to use AI tools effectively.
2025-04-11 04:25:36 .. Shizuoka Sangyo University used Nabla Works’ AI Presenter to deliver a multilingual digital human speech by its president in eight languages at its April 2025 entrance ceremony, promoting international exchange and student engagement with advanced AI technology.
2025-04-11 04:23:42 .. This paper presents a lifelike digital human system that uses advanced AI to interact emotionally and assist with tasks, performing well in guiding and supporting users during a model assembly, with plans for faster responses, job-specific customization, and enhanced privacy.
2025-04-11 04:22:02 .. a16z maps AI avatar use cases across six categories—Character Animation, Creator Clones, Lead Generation, Enterprise, Live Clone or Faceswap, and AI VTubers—highlighting companies like HeyGen, Hedra, D-ID, and Synthesia, with additional developer tools provided by platforms such as Genies, Siml, and Tavus.
2025-04-11 04:19:19 .. Ubisoft is hiring an AI Programmer in Pune to develop gameplay AI systems, requiring expertise in C++, AI algorithms, and 3D math, with opportunities to work on international projects in a collaborative, tech-forward environment.
2025-04-11 04:18:04 .. Warner Bros. and Hologram Media Network launched a nationwide Proto Hologram and Snapchat AR campaign for A Minecraft Movie, using mall-based displays and interactive lenses to engage fans ahead of its April 2025 release.
2025-04-11 04:16:27 .. Ikonz unveiled an AI digital avatar of Sourav Ganguly on its HXR Device, leveraging exclusive rights to his likeness for multi-industry use, and announced a $20–25 million Series A funding plan to support global expansion.
2025-04-11 04:15:15 .. Virtuals Protocol’s daily revenue has plummeted 99% since January, and its VIRTUAL token has dropped 91% from its peak, yet it remains the sixth most-discussed AI agent project by mindshare.
2025-04-11 04:13:26 .. Since 2021, Morehouse College has partnered with VictoryXR to build its “Metaversity,” a VR-based digital twin campus featuring over 240 immersive experiences and AI teaching assistants, positioning the school as a leader in virtual education with support from Meta, Unity, Qualcomm, and OpenAI.
2025-04-11 04:11:53 .. Synthesia partnered with Shutterstock to pre-train its upcoming EXPRESS-2 model using licensed HD and 4K videos, aiming to enhance avatar realism for corporate communication while maintaining strict content moderation and user consent protocols.
2025-04-11 04:10:42 .. In Q1, Rapport advanced its real-time emotionally expressive avatar technology with a customizable demo, Unreal Engine plugin, enhanced lip sync via Speech Graphics, a customer service training simulation with Relativ.ai, and insights from CTO Michael Berger on the Building Rapport podcast.
2025-04-10 07:46:24 .. Ready Player Me is hiring an Art Director to shape the visual identity of avatars and wearables for its cross-game platform and PlayerZero initiative, leading a creative team and integrating AI tools to support interoperable digital identities across virtual worlds.
2025-04-10 07:45:16 .. CrazyFaceAI is an AI-driven platform for editing, generating, and animating facial expressions in high-resolution photos and videos, offering over 1,000 expression styles, advanced tools, and subscription plans ranging from basic use to Pro features like API access and long video support.
2025-04-10 07:43:54 .. YouTube has endorsed the bipartisan No Fakes Act, which bans unauthorized AI-generated likenesses and voices, supports a takedown system akin to copyright law, and aims to balance federal regulation with existing state protections.
2025-04-10 07:42:46 .. The Research Scientist – Computer Vision – XR Tech Core AI role at Meta focuses on developing 3D vision, neural rendering, and scene understanding technologies for XR applications, with Neural Avatars explicitly identified as a key research area.
2025-04-10 07:41:40 .. The Indian Influencer Governance Council has launched a voluntary 20-point self-regulatory code to promote ethical content creation, covering transparency, authenticity, and AI use, though critics note the absence of influencer representation on its largely corporate-led board.
2025-04-10 07:40:07 .. Chinese AI startup Super Brain, founded by Zhang Zewei in Nanjing, creates emotionally resonant digital humans to simulate deceased individuals for interactive memorials, gaining national attention via Douyin and completing over 600 digital resurrection cases while advocating affordable access to digital immortality.
2025-04-10 07:38:38 .. Ulster University’s CoSTAR Screen Lab is offering up to £35,000 each to two UK creative projects exploring 5G applications in screen industries, with winners gaining access to Studio Ulster’s advanced production facilities and support from the UKRI-backed CoSTAR Network.
2025-04-10 07:37:37 .. Andreessen Horowitz is raising a US$20 billion megafund—the largest in its history—to invest in U.S. AI companies, consolidate capital for growth-stage backing, and appeal to global investors amid rising AI costs and political alignment with the Trump administration.
2025-04-10 07:36:28 .. AI avatars are rapidly evolving from static media to interactive, lifelike digital characters through advances in synchronized voice, facial and body animation, enabling new forms of content creation, communication, and commercial use across consumer, business, and enterprise sectors despite ongoing technical and expressive challenges.
2025-04-10 07:35:16 .. Jarvis Jadrolita, portrayed by Amadou Elizabeth Aminata, is a Nigerian virtual influencer who performs an AI-themed persona with minimal digital effects, blending real-life content creation and character storytelling for social media engagement.
2025-04-10 07:34:12 .. This article explores the evolution of Simlish from improvised gibberish in SimCopter to a culturally iconic, emotionally expressive fictional language central to The Sims franchise, enriched through gameplay, music, and recurring phrases.
2025-04-10 07:33:04 .. FantasyTalking is an AI-driven method that generates realistic talking videos from a single image and audio clip, producing synchronized facial, lip, and body movements while preserving identity and supporting diverse styles and formats.
2025-04-09 21:41:51 .. Soul Song is a creative service based in Byron Bay, Australia, that transforms astrological birth chart data into personalized musical portraits using a combination of AI tools and human artistry. The platform interprets planetary alignments to suggest musical parameters, while human artists compose original lyrics, melodies, and custom artwork to reflect the individual’s symbolic profile. Emphasizing the human creator’s role, Soul Song blends AI-assisted structure with emotional storytelling. Founded by Marcus Endicott, the service delivers digital packages within 48 hours, starting at $40, and is positioned as a unique format for self-expression, commemoration, or gifting.
2025-04-09 05:08:22 .. AI music on YouTube is characterized by global diversity, genre experimentation, and hybrid human-AI creativity, with creators using accessible tools to blend cultural, emotional, and commercial elements in ways that challenge traditional music production and reshape digital storytelling.
2025-04-09 04:05:07 .. This digital human version of Isaac Newton was developed by China Mobile Migu. It uses AI technology to enable interactive experiences, allowing users to engage with it through various modes.
2025-04-09 04:02:40 .. This study presents a VR system using child-like and therapist avatars to assess Autism Spectrum Disorder in young children by facilitating naturalistic social interactions and enabling automated, ecologically valid behavioral analysis in a controlled, immersive environment.
2025-04-09 04:01:38 .. This study found that human-like avatars elicited stronger brain responses related to error detection and action prediction during synchronized interaction tasks, indicating that bodily appearance consistently influences how we perceive and process others’ movements.
2025-04-09 04:00:37 .. VRespectMe uses immersive avatar-based embodiment to help domestic violence offenders experience abuse from the victim’s perspective, fostering empathy and reducing self-deception through emotionally confrontational role reversal and virtual dialogue.
2025-04-09 03:59:26 .. BabyX and the VR Baby Training Tool offer ethically viable, immersive simulations that overcome the limitations of traditional infant research and training by enabling controlled, interactive, and culturally responsive environments for studying and developing adult-infant relational skills.
2025-04-09 03:57:48 .. Esperanza Miyake’s new book critically examines how virtual influencers embody and reinforce socio-technical systems of identity, intimacy, and control across global media, highlighting their entanglement with race, gender, nationhood, and labor in the context of AI, digital capitalism, and platform culture.
2025-04-08 01:42:20 .. In March, China Literature and Art Network launched Wen Xiaolei, its first AI digital host, to promote Xi Jinping’s cultural thought and enhance arts communication by transforming cultural content into interactive audiovisual experiences that complement human hosts.
2025-04-08 01:40:54 .. In early 2025, China expanded its use of AI civil servants as lifelike digital humans in roles such as prosecutors, judges, and police, using generative AI to deliver round-the-clock legal services, public education, and policy support while addressing labor shortages and modernizing civic engagement.
2025-04-08 01:39:33 .. Sichuan Fengmian Media Technology Co., Ltd. was reported to have applied for a patent that enhances digital human realism by blending emotional tags and visemes with phonemes to produce more emotionally accurate facial expressions during speech.
2025-04-08 01:38:01 .. Shenzhen Health Industry Development Co., Ltd. launched the YunKang AI digital human platform to support China’s digital economy, enabling users to easily create and monetize realistic AI avatars through automated tools without technical expertise, targeting sectors like marketing, education, healthcare, and personal branding.
2025-04-08 01:36:27 .. Krafton’s life simulation game inZOI became its fastest-selling title, surpassing one million copies in a week after launching in Steam Early Access on March 28, 2025, driven by strong global demand, strategic marketing, community engagement, and robust user-generated content activity.
2025-04-08 01:35:19 .. Arc2Avatar is a novel AI method that generates highly realistic, animatable 3D head avatars from a single photo by combining a human face foundation model with 3D Gaussian Splatting, achieving superior identity preservation and visual quality.
2025-04-07 07:58:43 .. Shenzhen’s Luohu District has deployed holographic digital human agents in government service centers to streamline public services and enhance user experience, marking a shift toward human-centered AI in smart city governance.
2025-04-07 07:56:58 .. China’s digital human brand endorsements have evolved from Luo Tianyi’s pioneering role to a diverse ecosystem featuring hyper-realistic KOLs, corporate mascots, and AI-driven avatars used by major brands like L’Oréal, Shiseido, and Alibaba for marketing, entertainment, and storytelling.
2025-04-07 07:54:51 .. Zhongying Niannian (Beijing) Technology has been granted a patent for a digital human and holographic display system based on AIGC, reflecting its active role in technology promotion with 26 patents and investments in 13 enterprises.
2025-04-07 07:53:24 .. Beijing Oubel develops 2D and 3D digital human teachers that automate courseware creation and enable lifelike, adaptive classroom interaction, positioning them as pedagogical partners driving AI-powered personalization and transformation in education.
2025-04-07 07:51:56 .. The Aizhuanxing Digital Human, embedded in a WeChat Mini Program, serves as a 24/7 virtual assistant to help small and medium-sized enterprises adopt AI through a secure, government-backed platform offering 281 products across seven key application areas.
2025-04-07 07:50:35 .. This paper examines the rise of digital immortality in China as a response to an aging population and changing mourning practices, highlighting its technological stages, societal motivations, ethical and legal challenges, and emphasizing the need for cultural sensitivity and legal clarity as AI-driven simulations of the deceased reshape concepts of identity, memory, and mortality.
2025-04-07 07:48:56 .. Shenzhen Zhuiyi Technology has been granted a patent for a digital human video generation method, highlighting the company’s active role in AI innovation with 527 patents and broad engagement across internet-related services and investments.
2025-04-07 07:47:11 .. Kuaishou is integrating AI-generated digital humans as scalable marketing agents in livestreams and ads, with Q4 2024 spending topping 30 million RMB, reflecting their growing role in automating personalized content creation and lowering marketing barriers for small businesses.
2025-04-07 07:45:47 .. This video introduces The AI Digital Human Cardiac Coach by Marie and Allan Johnson, showcasing how Trulience’s AI avatars played a central role in developing and field-testing the system, with Allan Johnson as its first patient.
2025-04-07 07:44:25 .. At its 50th anniversary, Microsoft unveiled the experimental Copilot Avatar” feature, enabling users to customize expressive AI assistant visuals as part of a broader push to make Copilot more personal, context-aware, and engaging.”
2025-04-07 07:43:15 .. Nanjing Digital Circle Technology, founded in 2022, develops ultra-realistic digital humans through full-chain 3D solutions, applying them across industries to enhance production efficiency and cultural expression, exemplified by its digital replica of Yunjin master Guo Jun.
2025-04-07 07:41:58 .. An event at Tianjin University showcased lifelike AI digital humans with fluent speech and realistic expressions, highlighting their emerging role in education, communication, and public engagement.
2025-04-07 07:40:36 .. Fu Shou Yuan has launched AI-generated digital human memorial services amid declining burial plot sales, raising ethical, cultural, and regulatory concerns as it tests the viability of emotionally personalized, high-cost offerings in the funeral industry.
2025-04-07 07:39:16 .. ETCH is a novel method that estimates body shape under clothing by modeling garments as shells and using spatial vectors to infer body landmarks, achieving high accuracy even with limited data and varied clothing types.
2025-04-07 07:38:09 .. Wonda is a conversational AI training platform that enables personalized, interactive skill-building simulations across devices, offering customizable templates, AI-driven assessments, and integration with learning systems for academic and corporate use.
2025-04-06 05:40:16 .. Simpleshow has added lifelike, multilingual AI avatars to its explainer video platform, enabling emotionally engaging, brand-aligned storytelling by combining natural avatar interaction with animated visuals for use in training, marketing, and internal communications.
2025-04-06 05:39:13 .. Avanade developed a generative AI avatar of Ryota Igarashi for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks’ stadium, enabling real-time fan interaction in a Microsoft-powered suite to showcase advanced AI, boost engagement, and support SoftBank’s lead generation efforts.
2025-04-06 05:38:07 .. South Korea’s virtual star evolution began with Adam in 1998 and spans from early CGI singers to advanced AI-driven influencers like Rozy, PLAVE, and J-NA, reflecting shifts in technology, media strategy, and public engagement across music, advertising, and public service.
2025-04-06 05:36:57 .. At MWC Barcelona 2025, Digital Human Inc. and KDDI showcased AI-driven, multilingual digital human technology for next-gen retail, featuring real-time avatar interaction and OpenAI integration to enhance service quality and reduce staff workload in future Japanese convenience stores.
2025-04-06 05:35:54 .. At IEEE VR 2025, Inria’s Anatole Lécuyer highlighted advances in large language models that are making virtual humans more realistic in verbal interactions, enhancing immersion across fields like education, therapy, and cultural heritage.
2025-04-06 05:34:48 .. Aww Inc. and Dai-ichi Life are piloting a virtual human assistant called “Digital Buddy” to support insurance planners during client interactions, aiming to streamline procedures and enhance service quality using generative AI.
2025-04-06 05:33:37 .. MetaIntelAI, founded by Anant Haldia in Gurugram, develops AI-powered digital agents and humans using technologies like 3D scanning, contributing to Bollywood films and advancing India’s digital human ecosystem at the intersection of AI, VFX, and entertainment.
2025-04-06 05:32:12 .. The paper finds that marginalized users often use avatars to protect their identity, but this can create tension as others may view such concealment—especially of race or gender—as deceptive, revealing a conflict between personal privacy and expectations of transparency in virtual spaces.
2025-04-06 05:31:09 .. At GDC 2025, Inworld AI announced a shift to a local C++ character engine for greater developer control, transparency, and performance, enabling flexible AI use in games—from companions to multiplayer emulation—while supporting stylized characters, real-time integration, and upcoming AAA collaborations.
2025-04-06 05:30:04 .. This list outlines leading avatar platforms—such as Synthesia, HeyGen, and Deepbrain AI—offering customizable, multilingual, and often AI-powered solutions for business, education, creative content, and social media, enabling fast, user-friendly avatar creation without requiring on-camera talent or advanced design skills.
2025-04-06 05:28:55 .. KiksAR’s Humanized AI platform delivers customizable, browser-based AI avatars with live lipsync, voice cloning, and LLM integration, supporting seamless plug-and-play use with tools like Calendly and WordPress to enhance customer engagement and product discovery at low cost.
2025-04-06 05:27:50 .. Sparrow-0 is a transformer-based AI model that enhances virtual video agent conversations by predicting turn-taking in real time using speech meaning and pause patterns, enabling faster, smoother responses across 100+ languages and powering Tavus’s Conversational Video Interface.
2025-04-06 05:26:28 .. Jumbo Mana, a deep-tech startup creating conversational Agentic AI for sectors like airports and education, scaled its platform by 300% and ensured GDPR compliance through a strategic partnership with OVHcloud, enabling global expansion.
2025-04-06 05:25:27 .. The 25th ACM IVA Conference will be held in Berlin from September 16–19, 2025, focusing on socially interactive virtual agents with a special theme on Aesthetics and Culture to explore how design and cultural awareness impact engagement and trust.
2025-04-06 05:24:21 .. The Morning Show featured sexologist Isiah McKimmie on April 4 to discuss the rising $426 billion market of AI companions, highlighting how more people are forming relationships with machines.
2025-04-06 05:22:32 .. Alíz is a female AI character leading the Allee shopping center’s spring campaign as a futuristic, empathetic brand ambassador, promoting health and sustainability while anchoring a tech-focused initiative themed “Moving with the Future.”
2025-04-06 05:20:08 .. Avatown, developed by Dolami, Inc., is a virtual avatar marketplace promoting creative self-expression through customizable 3D avatars, with over 1.2 million users and plans to expand into VR, following a pivot from hardware to software during the pandemic.
2025-04-06 05:17:09 .. Genies has launched a UGC platform combining AI, XR, and gaming to let users and IP owners co-create stylized, AI-powered avatars and digital experiences called Parties,” featuring no-code tools, personality training, and monetizable, interoperable environments.”
2025-04-04 03:01:49 .. This study finds that the main barrier to adopting AI influencers is the lack of emotional connection and perceived authenticity, with additional challenges including poor storytelling, ethical concerns, unclear legal frameworks, and high development costs.
2025-04-04 03:00:45 .. This thesis concludes that human influencers are valued for authenticity, relatability, and trust, while virtual influencers attract curiosity but struggle to form emotional connections, with digital literacy showing no clear influence on perceptions.
2025-04-04 02:59:39 .. This thesis finds that explicitly disclosing an influencer as virtual on Instagram does not significantly affect young adults’ social comparison or perceived authenticity, though personal recognition of the influencer as AI-generated leads to lower authenticity ratings.
2025-04-04 02:58:35 .. This paper concludes that virtual influencers are emerging as effective digital marketing tools due to their consistent branding and emotional appeal, but raise ethical concerns requiring transparency, guidelines, and consumer education as they become more interactive and integrated into the metaverse.
2025-04-04 02:57:20 .. This thesis finds that non-followers of human-like virtual influencers view them as emotionally unrelatable and inauthentic due to perceived perfection and unclear authorship, but engagement could improve through added imperfections, emotional expression, niche content, and transparency.
2025-04-04 02:56:17 .. This thesis finds that human influencers are generally more effective than virtual influencers in video ads due to higher perceived trust and relatability, particularly among individuals with high AI literacy who view virtual influencers more skeptically.
2025-04-04 02:55:08 .. Bungie is hiring an Associate to Mid-Level AI Designer for its Marathon Combatants Team to develop AI characters and behaviors for dynamic FPS combat, requiring scripting skills, cross-team collaboration, and experience in AI or mission design, with a salary range of $80,000–$123,000.
2025-04-04 02:54:03 .. Roblox is seeking a Senior Avatar Animation Engineer in San Mateo to enhance its animation technology for interactive 3D experiences, requiring expertise in C++, character systems, and cross-platform optimization, with a salary range of $222,910 to $289,460.
2025-04-04 02:52:11 .. This paper presents MetaTutor, a scalable, AI-driven digital human system that combines large language models, advanced speech and language technologies, and photorealistic avatars within a modular client–server architecture to enable real-time, ethical, and immersive user interactions across education, entertainment, and commercial applications.
2025-04-04 02:48:30 .. The A2E platform’s latest update enhances digital human creation with custom prompt controls, language-based voice search, faster audio uploads, and an improved mobile interface to streamline personalized content production.
2025-04-04 02:47:07 .. U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Peter Welch have urged Character.AI, Chai, and Replika to disclose their safety measures amid concerns over minors’ exposure to harmful content and emotional risks on chatbot platforms following lawsuits, including a teen suicide case in Florida.
2025-04-04 02:45:59 .. Krikey AI has partnered with ElevenLabs to integrate advanced text-to-speech technology into its animation platform, enabling users to create realistic talking avatars with customizable, natural-sounding AI voices and streamlined content production.
2025-04-04 02:44:53 .. Tavus leverages advanced open-source Llama models to power its conversational video interface platform, enabling lifelike, context-aware AI video interactions through multimodal reasoning, user data integration, and efficient on-premise deployment.
2025-04-04 02:43:42 .. RTM, Malaysia’s national broadcaster, debuted AI-generated avatars Aaron Lim and Che Rita in a Hari Raya PSA, prompting debate over media job displacement, ethical concerns, and the role of generative AI in automating routine broadcasting.
2025-04-04 02:42:26 .. MoCha, developed by Meta and the University of Waterloo, is an AI system that generates realistic full-body animations from speech and text using a novel attention mechanism to synchronize lip movements, gestures, and body language, enabling multi-character scenes with coherent dialogue.
2025-04-04 02:41:24 .. DreamActor-M1, developed by ByteDance, is an AI animation system that uses diffusion transformers to generate realistic, identity-preserving video animations from a single photo by integrating motion, facial expression, and audio data for smooth, controllable results.
2025-04-03 06:24:45 .. Beijing Jingpaidang Technology Co., Ltd. has filed a patent for a method using AI to generate virtual digital humans with enhanced realism and interactivity by extracting image features and constructing motion-defined models.
2025-04-03 06:23:22 .. David Wilson presents a privacy-preserving method for enhancing avatar eye contact in XR using GOAP to contextually prioritize eye movement, enabling more natural and engaging behavior without relying on internal cameras or biometric data.
2025-04-03 06:21:57 .. This lab teaches participants to build interactive avatar applications using NVIDIA’s Tokkio pipeline and ACE microservices, enabling AI-powered digital humans with customizable, natural interactions.
2025-04-03 06:20:38 .. Pophouse Entertainment, co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, has closed a €1.2 billion debut fund—one of Europe’s largest first-time private equity raises in a decade—to acquire music IP and artist rights, investing in acts like KISS and Avicii while promoting immersive, artist-centric experiences.
2025-04-02 04:57:48 .. Dimension Studio uses volumetric capture to create lifelike digital crowds and virtual characters, enabling scalable, emotionally rich storytelling across film and real-time production by blending realism, efficiency, and creative flexibility in immersive environments.
2025-04-02 04:56:33 .. This paper introduces an AI-powered system that automates microlecture video creation using digital human avatars, voice synthesis, and multimodal processing to reduce educator workload and enhance learner engagement.
2025-04-02 04:55:14 .. In Dewald v. MassMutual Metro, a pro se litigant’s attempt to argue via an AI avatar was swiftly rejected by New York’s Appellate Division, which deemed it inappropriate self-promotion and reaffirmed the necessity of in-person participation.
2025-04-02 04:53:27 .. StoryFile, now owned by Key 7 Investment Company, has launched two new conversational video installations using real recordings—at the Medal of Honor and Walmart museums—and plans broader industry expansion focused on preserving personal stories through immersive AI.
2025-04-02 04:51:27 .. Social presence in VR depends most on spatial immersion and partner warmth, with avatar realism and body ownership having minimal impact.
2025-04-02 04:50:01 .. Paradise touts AI-powered NPC interaction as a core feature, but its credibility is in doubt due to the game’s history of misleading promotions and unverified claims.
2025-04-02 04:48:51 .. Snapchat’s new Spring fashion updates for Bitmoji signal its strategic push into digital fashion and avatar-based interaction, positioning Bitmoji as a key asset amid growing AR and VR trends.
2025-04-02 04:47:40 .. Isegye Idol’s defamation lawsuit has sparked debate over whether anonymous VTubers qualify for legal protection, highlighting challenges in proving identifiability behind virtual personas.
2025-04-02 04:46:27 .. Recent reports indicate that Ready Player Me is facing developer frustration due to account management issues, outdated documentation, technical errors, and limited support responsiveness.
2025-04-01 04:42:28 .. Couger Inc.’s AI assistant Rachel, deployed in thousands of Japanese convenience stores, exemplifies how virtual human agents are becoming lifelike conversational interfaces powered by LUDENS, a modular platform combining 3D avatars, emotional recognition, large language models, and real-time data retrieval to simulate human interaction across real-world environments.
2025-04-01 04:40:59 .. WEMADE is using NVIDIA’s ACE technology to develop Asterion, an adaptive AI boss in Mir5 that learns from player behavior in real time, replacing static patterns with dynamic, strategy-shifting responses to enhance immersion and challenge.
2025-04-01 04:39:53 .. Chai Communications is expanding into AI-driven advertising and live commerce with its CHAI GPC platform and digital humans, aiming to boost creative efficiency and enter interactive outdoor media markets.
2025-04-01 04:38:44 .. Shinsegae Group integrated AI-generated virtual humans into its marketing strategy with characters like YT and 18 virtual idols for the 2025 Landers Shopping Festa, using immersive, Gen Z-targeted storytelling across platforms to promote brand identity and innovation.
2025-04-01 04:37:38 .. This study finds that virtual AI influencers are more effective for low-involvement products and human influencers for high-involvement ones, emphasizing the need to align influencer type with product category for optimal marketing impact.
2025-04-01 04:35:33 .. Pika Labs’ Selfie With Your Younger Self” feature lets users create AI-generated videos of themselves interacting with a younger version, blending current footage and childhood images for nostalgic, memorial, or creative storytelling.”
2025-04-01 04:34:22 .. Inspired by the AI music video “White Picachu,” the creator replicated its digital human concept using mostly open-source tools within ComfyUI, producing a 3-minute vintage-style MV with consistent character visuals, AI-generated lip syncing, and transition animations—demonstrating a full workflow on modest hardware and outlining plans for future refinement.
2025-04-01 04:32:58 .. This paper introduces a real-time AI system that generates realistic talking-head-and-body videos from a still image and audio, capturing facial expressions and gestures with style and emotion control at 30 fps.
2025-04-01 04:31:53 .. Jeanne Lim, co-creator of Sophia the Robot and founder of beingAI, envisions emotionally supportive, ethical AI beings like Zbee that foster well-being and meaningful interaction, especially for youth, across digital platforms.
2025-04-01 04:30:38 .. OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o consistently depicts itself as a brown-haired white man with glasses, revealing how AI image outputs may reflect cultural and demographic biases in training rather than an actual self-image.
2025-04-01 04:29:21 .. HeyGen promotes its hyper-realistic avatars as a scalable, multilingual alternative to chatbots for real-time human-like interaction across industries, with features like AI Motion Control, adoption by firms like Trivago, and built-in ethical safeguards.