An artificial intelligence model can make virtual avatars gesture naturally to match spoken words – possibly paving the way for AI-generated newsreaders or influencers that move more realistically as they speak. As humans talk, we gesture to help convey our meaning. But when video game characters or digital avatars attempt similar behaviour, they often make generic movements regardless of what they are actually saying.

As remote and hybrid work becomes commonplace, companies are investigating ways to train salespeople one-on-one virtually -- typically over video chat platforms like Zoom. Even before the pandemic, 59% of learning and development professionals were spending more of their budget on online training than in-person, according to LinkedIn. But not every department is devoting an equal amount of time to coaching, surveys show -- and this can be to the detriment of sales. A recent RingDNA report found that 45% of salespeople have received less coaching than usual or no coaching since moving to remote work during the pandemic. It's estimated that 75% of sales organizations waste resources due to random and informal coaching, besides, the opportunity costs being substantial.

Avatars touted as "artificial humans" created a buzz Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show even as debate swirled on what exactly the digital entities were. Star Labs, a startup funded by Samsung, showed the painstakingly detailed AI-powered, two-dimensional digital creations to a large crowd, saying they are able to "converse and sympathize" like real people. A demonstration at CES showed conversations and gestures from the digital creations modeled after real humans. According to the California-based unit of the South Korean company, the technology allows for the creation of customized digital beings that can appear on displays or video games and could be designed to be "TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors" or even "companions and friends." Pranav Mistry, chief executive of the lab, said the creations known as NEONs are modeled after people but can show highly detailed expressions and gestures, and even new characteristics that can be programmed. "They look very human, in part because they are modeled after a human," but can even speak in languages the person hadn't spoken before, Mistry said.

Avatars touted as "artificial humans" created a buzz Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show even as debate swirled on what exactly the digital entities were. Star Labs, a startup funded by Samsung, showed the painstakingly detailed AI-powered, two-dimensional digital creations to a large crowd, saying they are able to "converse and sympathize" like real people. A demonstration at CES showed conversations and gestures from the digital creations modeled after real humans. According to the California-based unit of the South Korean company, the technology allows for the creation of customized digital beings that can appear on displays or video games and could be designed to be "TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors" or even "companions and friends." Pranav Mistry, chief executive of the lab, said the creations known as NEONs are modeled after people but can show highly detailed expressions and gestures, and even new characteristics that can be programmed. "They look very human, in part because they are modeled after a human," but can even speak in languages the person hadn't spoken before, Mistry said.