Samsung just revealed its mystery project centered around “artificial humans.” That’s right. Artificial humans.
What’s going on: Samsung just revealed the details behind Project Neon, which was the creation of a Samsung subsidiary STAR Labs, according to Bloomberg.
- These “artificial humans” — which are basically realistic avatars — are computer generated and can hold conversations with you, per The Verge.
- The “artificial humans” can totally understand emotions and hold intelligence, too, to make the conversations worthwhile.
- The humans can be given different tasks and respond to questions you ask in real-time.
Reaction: Pranav Mistry, chief executive officer of STAR Labs, short for Samsung Technology & Advanced Research, said these AI humans are basically a new species, according to Bloomberg.
- Mistry: “Neon is like a new kind of life. There are millions of species on our planet and we hope to add one more. Neons will be our friends, collaborators and companions, continually learning, evolving and forming memories from their interactions.”
Yes, but: According to The Verge, these “artificial humans” are essentially superficial avatars and nothing more. But they could be more interesting with time and development.
“So far, so good. It’s no secret that CGI humans have become more lifelike in recent years, and are already being used in some of the scenarios outlined above. If STAR Labs can make these avatars more realistic, then they might be adopted more widely. Fine.
“But if you’ve ever interacted with, say, a virtual greeter at an airport or museum, you’ll know how paper-thin the “humanity” of these avatars are. At best, they’re Siri or Alexa with a CGI face, and it’s not clear if STAR Labs has created anything more convincing.”