NVIDIA’s New AI Feature Will Creep You Out
NVIDIA released a beta version of its new AI that forces your eyes to look into the camera.
NVIDIA, the company known for its powerful graphics processing units (GPUs), recently launched a new version of NVIDIA Broadcast, the AI-powered live streaming and video conferencing software tool that turns your room into a home studio.
Eye Contact, a new feature in the updated Broadcast v1.4, compels you to stare directly at the camera.
Yes, it substitutes synthetic eyes for your own to give the impression that you are looking directly into the camera.
Step #1: Setup the environment
Here is what you need:
NVIDIA RTX Graphics Card (2060 as an entry point)
8GB RAM or higher
NVIDIA Studio Driver 526.98
Game Ready Driver 526.47
NVIDIA RTX Enterprise Driver 526.67, and above
If you have the hardware, go download and install the drivers.
Step #2: Install NVIDIA Broadcast
Download and install v1.4.0 here.
If you’re having trouble with the installation, check out this setup guide.
Step #3: Launch NVIDIA Broadcast
Open the app and go to the Camera tab.
Under the Effects section, select “Eye contact (beta)." This will enable the eye contact feature.
Turn on your webcam and see for yourself how the AI forces your eyes to gaze into the lens.
Do you love it? Hate it? find it creepy?
Why you'll love it
When it works, it looks super cool. People who have trouble making eye contact will probably be glad to have this technology. Eye Contact could allow such people to feel more comfortable in online meetings.
Also, think about the value it gives to users who often read scripts while doing online presentations or influencers who want to maintain eye contact with their audience.
It’s a great way to make your videos more engaging for your viewers.
Why you'll hate it
Imagine yourself on a video call with a work colleague, and you both seem to be looking at each other the entire time. I think that would make you feel uneasy. Partly because complete, uninterrupted eye contact does not feel natural in a casual conversation,
TV news anchor Scott Baker tweeted a sentiment about Eye Contact:
As a TV news anchor for decades … this is not quite the right approach. To make communication effective … you have to naturally break eye contact with the camera (just as you would in real life) fairly often.
Also, in some cases, the AI fails to render the eyeballs in the correct position. It’s incredibly off-putting when it happens.
The way I tested it on the video might be a corner case, but it is likely to happen to some. NVIDIA better improve on it to avoid users from freaking out.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m really impressed by the AI technology behind the new Eye Contact feature of Broadcast v1.4.
However, the current use slightly creeps me out. It would be a lot more useful if it worked on pre-recorded videos too.
But if you’re a video creator looking to up your game, then I definitely recommend giving this feature a try!
This article was originally posted on Medium by Jim Clyde Monge. Follow the Generative AI publication for more stories like this.