Am I blinking too much? Why do my hair always ask? Is it me, or is my head small? My avatar is generated by AI, but I ask questions I ask on any mirror, whether it’s the one in the corridor or the digital mirror of the iPhone camera.
In a sense, this is the embodiment of Synthesia – training, digital thinking about real humans. Synthesia is a London-based AI video startup that has over 150,000 users have made avatars like me for large businesses in the past year, hoping to create training or marketing videos in multiple languages. Although they are not perfect, they are persuasive.
Yes, I have my little criticisms, but they are more about self-perception than accuracy. This is similar to how I feel at times on the zoom, watching my slightly invisible version of myself on the screen. My avatar is not me, but my version is not a version that appears in Zoom, in videos or in real life.
Now, do I think my avatar can deceive my mom? Probably not-at least not yet. There are strange people, but this is totally on the edge. My face looks very accurate, except that I know the fact that I shake my cheeks and keep my eyes wide open is much more than my avatar. When I write About the functions of synthesis for wealth‘ The digital question just releasedI asked Victor Riparbelli, CEO and co-founder of Synthesia: What makes Avatar look more human?
“Everything is in micro-expression,” Riparbelli said. “What makes them look really real is all micro-expression: how you say something, the tone of the voice, especially when there is a lot of words to say.”
He continued: “Over the years, we have had a problem: If you listen to a sentence, it sounds real.” To make an incarnation look like a human, you need the way they speak to them to copy what the real human is doing. For example, “When I speak, I speed up, slow down and emphasize certain words,” Riparbelli added. “All of these things are natural. For me, I use my hands a lot when I talk – unconscious, that’s how I wire it – if my avatar doesn’t use its hands the same way, it looks weird. All these little details have to work together to make it look and sound real.”
The subtext of all this is the weird valley, which is derived from 1970 by robotist Masahiro Mori, which describes the feeling of looking at an entity that looks almost (but not very human-like). Riparbelli believes that when it comes to video, we will always exit the weird valley.
“I think we’re going to break through weird valleys by the end of the year,” he said. “Like we broke it with images, like we broke it with words. At least in some parts, in voice and video, we did it. It got very, very, very close.”
Synthesia has attracted more than $330 million from venture capital investments such as Kleiner Perkins, GV, Accel and NEA. From Mondelēz International to SAP, its customer base includes many of the largest companies in the world. Read the entire article here.
See you on Monday
Allie Garfinkle
X: @agarfinks
e-mail: Alexandra.garfinkle@fortune.com
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Risk Trading
– bonfy.aiCalifornia-based Mountain View, an adaptive content security solution provider raised $9.5 million in seed funding. TLV Partners Lead the tour, joined Saban Capital Partners.
– PolicloudIt is a France-based urban cloud infrastructure developer for cities, businesses and public institutions, raising 7.5 million euros (8.8 million US dollars) in seed funding. Global Enterprises Lead the tour, joined MI8 Limited,,,,, One day,,,,, inriaand others.
– Cruci, you haveA Seattle-based agent AI construction workflow automation company raised $8 million in seed funding. Bain Capital Ventures and Gold Capital Lead the tour, joined Brick and mortar risk,,,,, original capital,,,,, Selected Fundand angel investors.
– First serviceEngland-based Milton Keynes, an England-based AI-driven customer experience and feedback platform, raised £4.6 million ($6.3 million) in funding from it Pembroke VCT,,,,, Mercia Adventure,,,,, Small VCT,,,,, Technical starsand angel investors.
– vo/dVenture Studio, Miami, raised $5 million in Series A funding. Karp Reilly Lead the tour, joined Saquon Barkley,,,,, Joseph Martin,,,,, I Pateland others.
– SuppressionICU’s Seattle-based alert fatigue solutions provider raises $4.4 million in seed + funding from existing investors The third prime number,,,,, Bonfire Enterprise,,,,, WellStar’s Catalystand Silver Circle.
– NexusmdAgent AI healthcare solutions provider based in Melbourne, from Square nails.
– New MaterialsA Newark-based battery materials company raised $2.3 million in seed funding. SOSV Lead the tour, joined New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and UM6P Adventure.
– castleis a Miami-based Bitcoin Treasury Solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, Boost VC and Winklevoss Capital.
Private Equity
– Battery adventure Agree to obtain Enzo Biochema life sciences company based in Northingdale, New York, with $0.70 per share of cash, totaling approximately $37 million.
– CMIT Solutions,Depend on hkw,get Wright Technology Groupa cybersecurity and management IT service provider based in Taunton, Massachusetts. Financial terms are not disclosed.
– Fortro,Depend on Partner Group,get Targeta Denmark-based business intelligence solutions provider. Financial terms are not disclosed.
– Potential partners Acquisition of majority shares and merger Al Service,,,,, Mr. Electric,,,,, Glass Doctorand Molly Maid,brand Neighbora franchisee in Waco, Texas, formed Complete family service. Financial terms are not disclosed.
– Swanson Industrya portfolio company Rotating Capital Partnersobtained off-highway business Drive bridgea powertrain component remanufacturer based on cinnamon in New Jersey. Financial terms are not disclosed.
people
– Sapphire partnerLimited Partner Promotion in Austin Dan Clayton To the principal.
– Sapphire Adventureis an Austin-based venture capital firm that is promoted Andrew Vogeley,,,,, Adam Liu,,,,, Aditya Reddyand Justin Liu Vice President and Michael Hu To senior colleagues.
quit
– Wolters Kluwer Laws and Regulations get Brightflaga provider of AI-driven legal spending management software in New York City, with cash of approximately €425 million. Brightflag Previously raised about $38.8 million in venture capital from investors Sand Capital,,,,, Frontline adventureand Tribal Adventure.
Funds + Funds
– galaxy adventurea joint venture strategy based in New York City Galaxy NumbersTo develop the early stage companies that developed OnChain’s economic infrastructure, its first fund raised $175 million.
