Tech News : Deepfaked Eyes On Video Calls
A new AI feature for Nvidia’s Broadcast client will overlay your eyes with some deepfake ones which are always looking at the camera.
Eye Contact Feature
The ‘Eye Contact’ feature has been designed to make users/content creators look more engaged while video conferencing or during a live stream. The feature may make it easier for users to stay looking fully engaged and directly at their audience even while reading their notes or avoiding having to stare directly at the camera.
Harnessing The Power Of AI
The feature uses AI to check whether a user’s eyes are looking at the camera, and if not, it will overlay them with a new pair of deepfake ‘eyes’ that are looking directly at the camera. Nvidia says the feature “moves the eyes of the speaker to simulate eye contact with the camera”.
Natural Eye Colour And Blinks Retained
Nvidia says that the feature is achieved by estimating and aligning the user’s gaze and that “The eyes retain their natural colour and blinks, and there’s even a disconnect feature in case you look too far away, to transition smoothly between simulated and real eyes.”
The company also says that “There are millions of eye colours and lighting combinations” to make the feature appear more realistic.
Similar To FaceTime’s ‘Attention Correction’
Although ‘Eye Contact’ is a new feature in the world of videoconferencing, it is similar to FaceTime’s ‘Attention Correction’ feature which was introduced at the same time as iOS 13. Attention Correction creates a map/position of the user’s face, and adjusts the eyes accordingly so that users establish eye contact even when they’re looking at the screen instead of the camera.
Help Nvidia Test And Improve It
Nvidia has set up a page where you can try out the new (Beta) ‘Eye Contact’ feature and help Nvidia improve it by recording a quick video with the feature turned on. You can try ‘Eye Contact’ here.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Maintaining eye contact is important in human communication because it indicates attention, interest, and engagement in the conversation. It also helps to establish trust and can make the other person feel valued and heard, can aid in nonverbal communication, and can help to convey certain emotions, such as confidence or sincerity. All of these things are likely to be important for video content creators or anyone in an important work video conference to display. One particularly helpful aspect of the ‘Eye Contact’ feature is that a user can be looking at their notes but still appear to be looking at the camera, which could help present a more professional image. However, some studies have shown that maintaining too much constant eye contact with viewers can make them feel uncomfortable and it remains to be seen whether the feature, still in beta, is as realistic as Nvidia says or whether it looks strange and distracting or even a little creepy.
