Fintech Week 2024 Highlights: Behind the Scenes with AI Evelyn and AI Shakespeare

On October 28, 2024, at Hong Kong’s Fintech Week, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, engaged in a memorable conversation with “AI Evelyn” and “AI Shakespeare.” The interactive exchange showcased both the technology's sophistication and its relevance to AI and fintech themes. During the conversation, Hui threw in a playful question, asking, “What do you think of my outfit today?” AI Evelyn hesitated briefly before offering a poised smile and replied, “I’m not sure. I believe true beauty comes from confidence and grace; when you feel good, you naturally radiate.” This response sparked laughter from the audience, underlining the realistic, humanlike nature of AI Evelyn.

A New Era of Ultra-Realistic Virtual Humans

Developed by Hong Kong-based AI company Asiabots Limited, AI Evelyn represents the latest in ultra-realistic virtual human technology. Asiabots has been refining its digital human solutions over the years, starting with 2.5D Japanese anime-style avatars, moving to high-poly 3D models, and now reaching the fourth-generation hyper-realistic virtual humans powered by Generative Diffusion AI. This new generation of virtual humans offers stunning detail, dynamic lighting, and realistic animations, with visuals that remain flawless even on large-scale displays. AI Evelyn’s refined aesthetic aligns well with the cosmopolitan tastes of an international city like Hong Kong. This brief interaction also highlighted the advances in Asiabots’ lip-sync and facial synchronization technology, which have reached new levels of maturity.

AI Shakespeare: Breathing Life into a Timeless Icon

Creating AI Shakespeare was equally inspired, allowing him to generate poetry on command. To faithfully recreate Shakespeare’s likeness, Asiabots collected and analyzed hundreds of historical portraits and sculptures. Despite the low quality of most available images, the team identified distinct visuals that could serve as effective AI training models. After generating and reviewing hundreds of image variations, the team narrowed down the options, balancing historical accuracy with a contemporary touch to suit the fintech event's modern ambiance. The chosen design is both familiar and engaging—what do you think of the final look?