Lenovo has joined forces with AI video generator DeepBrain and assistive technology non-profit the Scott-Morgan Foundation to showcase a hyper-realistic avatar designed for persons with severe disabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas.
The Chinese tech company detailed in a press release how they preserved the voice and personality of a 24-year-old woman named Erin Taylor, who is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal motor neuron disease that affects the voluntary control of legs and arms, through a hyper-realistic avatar.
This was complemented with an on-device AI made by Lenovo to enhance text prediction and output.
"This is a fantastic example of the untapped potential of generative AI to empower individuals and build a more inclusive future, especially with such visionary collaborators," said Scott Tease, vice president and general manager of High-Performance Computing and AI at Lenovo.
"Leveraging our expansive solutions portfolio and in-house expertise, we love finding these opportunities to reimagine what's possible and help solve humanity's greatest challenges," he added.
Predictive AI Tool of Lenovo
Lenovo spearheaded a prototype for the new predictive AI tool to make the text input process faster, particularly when a traditional keyboard or voice-to-speech technology is not viable.
The on-device AI tool can work offline with the help of a compressed large language model (LLM) to ensure the speed and accuracy of communicating the user's health information and crucial needs.
The company prides itself in offering multiple options with the new technology in contrast with conventional predictive text engines that can only offer a single suggestion.
Lenovo and the Scott-Morgan Foundation worked together to integrate the predictive AI tool in their communication platform exhibited at CES 2024.
It features a combination of the avatar, a circular keyboard for eye-gaze tracking, and multimodal inputs to support various physical capabilities.
On the other hand, the DeepBrain AI team presented a detailed full-body video of Taylor to serve as the foundational data for her new hyper-realistic AI avatar. The team claims that the avatar can offer 96 percent true-to-life accuracy.
It is also worth noting that DeepBrain's tech was initially made for generative AI assistants. But it is now finding a new purpose as an assistive tech for people grappling with disabilities.
'The Avatar is Incredible'
The showcase featured a Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i premium consumer desktop PC running the AI avatar with the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 mobile workstation responsible for the predictive text AI tool.
According to Lenovo, the Irisbond's eye-gaze tracking technology and circular keyboard from the Scott-Morgan Foundation were also tested by Taylor in her home.
"Feeling so devastated and lost, we were grateful to the Scott-Morgan Foundation for inviting us to help build something new and shape the future," Taylor said.
"The avatar is incredible, but what matters most to me is that this technology could help change the lives of many more people facing ALS or other diseases - a way of showing how bright the future can still be," she added.
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