In a fascinating conversation with Idan Schmorak, CEO of UNITH, we dive into the world of artificial intelligence and the intriguing concept of digital humans. He shares the journey of UNITH, from its initial idea of cloning social media influencers to its current focus on creating hyper-realistic digital human interactions.
In our chat, Idan tackles the big questions: the excitement and challenges of bringing these digital humans to Australia, how they’re steering through the crucial ethical considerations, and what makes UNITH stand out in the bustling world of AI.
Idan, let’s start from the beginning. What sparked the idea for UNITH and the shift from traditional chatbots to creating digital humans?
Originally, we wanted to clone social media influencers to be able to communicate endlessly with their fans – but as we developed the technology we saw more immediate opportunities out there.
I’m intrigued by the digital cloning process at UNITH. How does it work, and how does it make the digital human experience more realistic for users?
We need a few minutes with the person in good lighting to capture the face, and less than an hour in a quiet zone to capture their voice – as time goes by and the technology improves the clones get more and more realistic. in 2-3 years time it will be hard to spot the difference between a clone and the real thing.
Bringing digital humans to the Australian market is quite a step. What challenges and opportunities do you foresee in this exciting venture?
Entering the Australian market presents unique challenges and opportunities for UNITH. One significant challenge is adapting to the specific regulatory and cultural landscape of Australia, ensuring our digital humans align with local norms and legal requirements.
However, there’s a great opportunity in Australia’s diverse and technologically savvy population. We anticipate that our digital humans will be well-received for their ability to offer 24/7 customer service and multi-lingual support, which is particularly valuable in a multicultural society like Australia’s.
Furthermore, the current economic climate, marked by labour shortages and a push towards digital transformation, makes this an ideal time for Australian SMEs to adopt innovative solutions like ours. With digital humans on the rise, how do you see them changing the way we interact with AI in our daily lives?
Ethical considerations must be huge in your line of work. How is UNITH navigating these waters while developing digital humans?
Ethical considerations are paramount at UNITH. We’re navigating these waters by implementing strict policies around consent and data privacy, ensuring that any digital cloning is done with explicit permission and ethical guidelines in mind.
We’re also mindful of the potential for misuse, so we’re working on safeguards to prevent our technology from being used unethically. Furthermore, we’re encouraging our team to design our ethical compass as we and the AI market grow fast and adapt accordingly.
The AI landscape is getting pretty crowded. What’s UNITH’s secret sauce? What makes your approach to digital humans stand out in the market?
UNITH’s ‘secret sauce’ lies in our innovative approach to creating highly realistic and customisable digital humans. What sets us apart in the crowded AI landscape is our unique combination of cutting-edge technologies and a deep understanding of human interaction. Our digital humans are not just visually and vocally realistic; they’re also designed to exhibit nuanced personality traits, making each interaction feel authentic and personal.
Moreover, our platform’s ease of use is a game-changer. Businesses can quickly create a digital human by uploading a document with the knowledge base and choosing the desired appearance and voice characteristics. This simplicity, combined with our technology’s scalability and affordability, makes it accessible to SMEs, which often lack the resources for more complex AI solutions.
