Synthesia Unveils AI Avatars Capable of Expressing Human Emotions

Nvidia-backed startup Synthesia has launched its 4th generation of AI avatars, now with the ability to express human emotions. Unveiled in a blog post on April 22, these avatars are meant to enhance corporate video communications by delivering performances with lifelike tones and body language in real-time, based on textual inputs.

Synthesia’s technology includes 225 avatars, which have already been used by more than 200,000 people to generate 18 million+ video presentations in 130 languages.

In a demonstration that can be seen in the blog post, Synthesia inserted three lines of text into its platform: “I am happy. I am sad. I am frustrated.” The AI actor delivers each line with an emotion-specific tone and facial expression.

Synthesia’s latest innovation, termed “Expressive Avatars,” is powered by their new EXPRESS-1 model. The model enables these digital personas to convey a wide range of human emotions effectively, from happiness to frustration, through voice and facial expression synchronization.

The firm’s avatars have been implemented in over 55,000 businesses globally, including half of the Fortune 100 companies, to create corporate presentations and training videos, according to CNBC.

According to Synthesia, this technology aims to transform professional video production by reducing costs and resource requirements. This approach removes the need for cameras, microphones, and traditional actor-based setups, streamlining content creation.

Synthesia has also implemented stringent controls to ensure its platform is not used for disinformation. Synthesia is part of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, an alliance of AI firms working to add credentials and digital “watermarks” to AI-generated content in order for it to be easily identified as AI-generated and not human-made, reports CNBC.

Synthesia states that these avatars could play a crucial role in onboarding and training within companies. They could simulate lifelike interactions in virtual settings, providing new employees with a dynamic and engaging way to learn about their roles and the company culture.