While the widespread use of AI deepfakes has been frowned upon in the industry, Zoom wants to use this incredible technology to represent people who don't want to appear on camera during video calls. However, using a digital twin to stand in for a person in these situations remains a big challenge, and Zoom is open to the possibility.
Companies have floated different ideas for AI-powered digital twins, including an answering machine that replicates the human voice, with Zoom's vision focusing on both voice and video.
Zoom to introduce AI deepfakes to video calls
In an interview with The Verge, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan shared his thoughts on AI-generated versions of ourselves — deepfakes of ourselves — appearing in video calls, but without the usual large-scale language models (LLMs) we know today from companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta.
Rather, there could be a “custom” LLM where users can create an AI that they can train to replicate their identity and other aspects of themselves, standing (or sitting) in their place during video conferences.
Yuan believes completing his own law degree is key to creating a digital twin, which will lead to relying on AI-created representations in situations like this.
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Is Zoom's digital twin AI on the horizon?
The Zoom CEO doesn't have this kind of technology yet, but believes it will be available soon to provide the experience. In his words, the technology may be 5-6 years away, but for now, there is still a lot of work to be done, especially since it has been noted that LLMs today have hallucinogenic tendencies.
Additionally, Yuan argued that Zoom's improved end-to-end encryption could help strengthen security.
Today's AI Digital Twin
Although computers cannot replicate human life, attempts have been made to develop the best possible alternatives, centered around AI-powered digital twins, which are currently under development. In 2022, some researchers explored the possibility of creating digital twins that could be programmed to identify as human and potentially be equipped with human-replicating technology in robots.
In the age of generative AI, these experiments have been taken a step further, with many companies experimenting with using the technology to replicate humans, including Jen AI, a digital twin of Virgin Voyage actress Jennifer Lopez.
Start-up AI company Native AI has also developed its own solution called the Digital Twin solution, which is made to mimic humans while leveraging its LLM training for brands and more.
The pop culture sci-fi trope of AI-powered computers and robots replicating humans is becoming reality, with many companies already experimenting with replicating humans on digital platforms. Zoom is one of the companies that has drawn widespread interest in the possibility of using generative AI to create deepfakes, or human replicas, that appear in video calls.
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