AI Avatar Created for ALS Patient
A collaboration between DeepBrain AI, Lenovo, and the Scott Morgan Foundation has introduced a novel form of assistive technology for Erin Taylor, a patient living with ALS.
Alex Carter
- 2024-01-09
- Updated 12:31 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - Erin Taylor has been given a new lease on digital communication through an AI avatar developed by DeepBrain AI, in partnership with Lenovo and the Scott Morgan Foundation. Taylor, diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), now has the capability to interact with technology and communicate with others using the synthesized virtual human. This AI technology, leveraging deep-learning video synthesis, was designed specifically to assist individuals like Taylor by replicating human interactions through an approachable digital persona.
Expanding Assistive Technology Tools
The AI avatar is an addition to an extensive range of assistive technologies provided to Taylor, who can use the virtual representation to create content such as social media videos. This represents a transformative step in how individuals with communication difficulties can engage with the world. Lenovo's collaboration with DeepBrain AI throughout 2023 has been instrumental in refining these avatars, resulting in Taylor's avatar being crafted at DeepBrain AI's cutting-edge video studio in California.
DeepBrain AI's larger ambition is to democratize the creation of hyper-realistic avatars, envisioning a future landscape where such technology is widely accessible. The company's script-to-video technology, already in use globally, enables the production of videos without the need for traditional recording equipment. This is revolutionizing content creation across sectors like media, finance, commerce, hospitality, and education, aligning with the company’s goal to humanize digital interaction.
Redefining Disability with Technology
During CES 2024, Taylor was granted access to AI Studios, allowing her to produce her own content using the avatar for the first time. Andrew Morgan, CEO of the Scott Morgan Foundation, emphasizes the organization's dedication to building an ecosystem of solutions aimed at redefining the experience of living with disabilities. This resonates with the broader mission, as more patients like Erin Taylor may soon navigate the digital realm with ease, courtesy of such groundbreaking AI technologies.
