PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ObEN Inc. (ObEN), the artificial intelligence (AI) company creating Personal AI (PAI) technology to revolutionize digital interaction, debuted the world’s first celebrity PAI at the 2018 World AI Conference in Shanghai, China.
Using its state-of-the-art AI technology, the company created the Personal AI avatar of Aijia of Chinese idol group SNH48. Formed in 2012, SNH48 is one of China’s most popular music groups, producing numerous hit songs and performing sold-out shows from their own theatre in Shanghai. Fan interaction is an important component of entertainment culture, and the creation of PAI for celebrities and idols like SNH48 will allow these stars to have more interactive, personalized, and widespread interactions with fans beyond the traditional meet-and-greets and album signings.
Xiong Wei, Vice President of SNH48, said: "SNH48 hopes to expand the virtual idol market through cooperation with ObEN, and strengthen the connection between idols and fans through AI technology, and realize the concept of cultivation and companionship through PAI."
ObEN’s technology combines computer vision, natural language processing and speech technology to create 3D intelligent avatars that look, sound, and learn to behave like the individual. The personal data used to create the PAI, and any data generated using the PAI, is secured and authenticated on the Project PAI blockchain. For the entertainment industry, this provides a new way to secure and maintain IP in an industry now dominated by digital assets.
“ObEN’s PAI technology empowers fans to reach across the digital space and actually see and hear their favorite celebrity as if they were having a personal encounter,” said Adam Zheng, COO and co-founder of ObEN. “Aijia’s PAI can now interact with fans, sing to fans, and even have conversations with them - and we see this new type of interaction as a market with great potential.”
At the World AI Conference, Aijia herself made a guest appearance, standing next to her PAI counterpart and singing a duet. The PAI’s singing voice was also generated using ObEN’s AI technology. By collecting a small sample of voice data, ObEN’s AI can enable a PAI to speak in multiple languages and even sing in the user’s own voice.
In addition to SNH48, ObEN also has a joint venture with S.M. Entertainment, South Korea’s largest entertainment agency, called AI Stars. The joint venture forms the world’s first celebrity AI agency, combining the IP of SM’s top K-pop stars with ObEN’s Personal AI technology to create new interactive experiences and products.
To learn more about Personal AI on the Blockchain visit projectpai.com.
About ObEN
ObEN is an artificial intelligence (AI) company developing Personal AI technology that revolutionizes personal digital interaction, enabling never before possible social and virtual interactions. The company’s technology allows users to create intelligent 3D avatars that look, sound, and behave like them. Deployed on the blockchain, ObEN’s Personal AI (PAI) technology enables users to create, use, and manage their own PAI on a secure, decentralized platform. Founded in 2014, ObEN is a K11, Tencent, Softbank Ventures Korea and HTC Vive X portfolio company and is located at Idealab in Pasadena, California. To learn more about ObEN, please visit oben.com.
