Going beyond chatbots to avatars: the next stage of AI for CX

Artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI) and how they can optimise the customer experience (CX) is the focus of an investment by Daimler Financial Services into New Zealand start-up, Soul Machines. The undisclosed strategic investment in Soul Machines aims to further develop artificial and emotional intelligence for a multi-channel, customer-service pilot using an avatar'Sarah' with facial recognition. Soul Machines is a leader in the field of emotional Intelligence for use in machines and digital avatars. Soul Machines has created a number of avatars including Nadia, a virtual human voiced by Cate Blanchett that's being trialled by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Nadia was designed to operate across multiple channels from the outset to create a consistent interaction for clients, with the face being just one representation.