AI-powered avatars can gesture naturally as they speak



Humans use both speech and gestures to convey information
Stanford University
An artificial intelligence model can make virtual avatars gesture naturally to match spoken words – possibly paving the way for AI-generated newsreaders or influencers that move more realistically as they speak.
As humans talk, we gesture to help convey our meaning. But when video game characters or digital avatars attempt similar behaviour, they often make generic movements regardless of what they are actually saying. To make virtual figures gesture more realistically, researchers first had to teach an AI model the connection between speech and body language – and the emotions…
You Might Also Like
Ancient rocks show earliest evidence of tectonic activity on Earth
The Pilbara craton in Western Australia is made up of some rocks that are 3.5 billion years oldElizabeth Czitronyi /...
How government use of AI could hurt democracy
AI could automate some government paperwork, but it comes with serious risksBrett Hondow / Alamy Many countries are exploring how...
Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations
A surgical robot operating on a dead pigJuo-Tung Chen/Johns Hopkins University An AI-powered robot was able to remove a gall...
Fig trees may benefit climate by turning carbon dioxide into stone
Fig trees may be especially good at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphereRaimund Linke/mauritius images GmbH/Alamy Some fig trees can...