AI Summit Silicon Valley 2021: Deepbrain AI to demo conversational avatars for 7-Eleven stores

CEO Eric Jang believes “AI Humans embedded with video and speech synthesis technology will disrupt many industries, including convenience stores"

Ben Wodecki, Jr. Editor

November 2, 2021

3 Min Read

CEO Eric Jang believes “AI Humans embedded with video and speech synthesis technology will disrupt many industries, including convenience stores"

Korean startup Deepbrain AI is set to demo its ‘AI human’ tech at the AI Summit Silicon Valley later this week.

The company will be showing off systems for both web and mobile applications, as well as zero-touch kiosks for use in 7-Eleven convenience stores.

The “realistic” chatbots can perform tasks through live conversation and are designed for use in unmanned retail outlets. They provide customers with information on discounts and newly stocked items and can impart knowledge on both the company’s background and its underlying technology.

"With AI Kiosks, the 7-Eleven staff is more productive and can focus on essential and timely tasks while customers are getting important information quickly upon entering the stores," Deepbrain said in a statement.

At the upcoming AI Summit, Eric Jang, founder and CEO of the company, will be giving a keynote on hyper-realistic customer experiences in retail.

"We believe AI Humans embedded with video and speech synthesis technology will disrupt many industries, including convenience stores," Jang said.

"We're excited to demonstrate this 7-Eleven commercial solution, which is currently in use, to highlight AI's ability to humanize digital customer service and enhance customer experiences."

You can see Deepbrain AI’s tech in action below:

 

How may AI help you?

Deepbrain was founded in 2016 and has raised a total of $52m to date.

Formerly known as Moneybrain, the company develops chatbots presented as realistic 3D avatars which can answer questions while producing appropriate lip movements and gestures, all of which are generated by algorithms.

Its ‘synthetic humans’ can be deployed in settings like customer service roles, or as news anchors. One experiment saw the company create a convincing avatar of Moon Jae-In, the president of South Korea.

Using Deepbrain’s platform, users can upload a script specifying the expressions required of the avatar. The system then generating the video, which can be downloaded immediately. The whole process can be done in under 10 minutes, the company claims.

South Korean news network MBN, LG’s HelloVision channel, and Metro News have all made use of its 3D avatars for broadcasts.

Upon closing a $44m Series B round in August, CEO Jang said his team intends to grow globally – with a particular emphasis on the US market.

Bear market

Lotte, the operator of Korea Seven, which manages 7-Eleven outlets in South Korea, has been toying with robots for a few years.

In 2018, it tested a Polar Bear-shaped robot in its store in the Lotte World Tower, a shopping and residential complex in southern Seoul. Dubbed Veny, the robot featured a palm vein scanner enabling customers to pay for items. Despite the robot’s involvement, the store still required a human employee to both manage inventory and clean.

For what to watch at the AI Summit, check out these editorial picks from AI Business.

About the Author

Ben Wodecki

Jr. Editor

Ben Wodecki is the Jr. Editor of AI Business, covering a wide range of AI content. Ben joined the team in March 2021 as assistant editor and was promoted to Jr. Editor. He has written for The New Statesman, Intellectual Property Magazine, and The Telegraph India, among others. He holds an MSc in Digital Journalism from Middlesex University.

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