Otermans Institute

Otermans Institute (OI) is a training and education specialist giving a personalised, one-to-one, virtual teacher to everyone.

Otermans Institute (OI) is an educational technology company that develops artificial intelligence-powered teaching solutions. Founded in 2020, OI aims to democratize learning through AI technology. The company's flagship product is OIAI, a fine-tuned language model that powers digital human teachers with human-like appearances and voices. These AI teachers can create and deliver course content, interact with students in real-time using voice and text inputs, provide personalized feedback, and assess student performance.

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Digital Humans

Redefining Education in the AI-driven Era | by Beatrice from Otermans Institute

Otermans Institute (OI) is an educational technology company that develops artificial intelligence-powered teaching solutions. Founded in 2020, OI aims to democratize learning through AI technology. The company's flagship product is OIAI, a fine-tuned language model that powers digital human teachers with human-like appearances and voices. These AI teachers can create and deliver course content, interact with students in real-time using voice and text inputs, provide personalized feedback, and assess student performance.
OI's AI teachers are capable of teaching entire courses, including a 9-lesson course that has been implemented in universities across four continents. The company's technology allows for two-way conversations between students and AI teachers, moving beyond traditional one-directional online instruction. OI's courses focus on soft skills and professional development, catering to students, recent graduates, aspiring entrepreneurs, and working professionals.
As of December 2023, OI had supported over 35,000 learners across 13 countries, working with governments and UN bodies to provide training and education using AI technology. The company reported that over 80% of students completed its OIAI course since November 2023, with a 94% learner satisfaction rate. OI aimed to expand its AI-powered teaching capabilities to 40 universities by September 2024.
In addition to OIAI, Otermans Institute developed Teddy AI, an AI-powered learning companion app for children that allows parents to control the content. The company is also working on developing Small Language Models to reduce the computing and electricity demands of its AI systems.

Inworld AI is a developer platform for creating AI-driven virtual characters for gaming, metaverse, and interactive experiences. Founded in July 2021 by Ilya Gelfenbeyn, Michael Ermolenko, and Kylan Gibbs, the company offers a Character Engine that uses advanced AI to build generative characters with personalities, thoughts, memories, and behaviors designed to mimic human interaction. Inworld's no-code studio allows writers, designers, and creators to easily develop AI characters that can be integrated into popular game engines like Unreal and Unity.
The company's technology goes beyond existing large language models and chatbots, orchestrating multiple machine learning models to enable multimodal character expression. Inworld's AI characters can learn, adapt, navigate relationships with emotional intelligence, have memory and recall, and autonomously initiate goals and actions. This allows for more dynamic and immersive experiences compared to traditional scripted non-player characters (NPCs) in games and virtual worlds. As of August 2023, Inworld AI had raised approximately USD 120 million in funding and was valued at over USD 500 million. The company plans to launch an open-source version of its Character Engine to further innovation in the gaming industry.
Key customers and partnerships
Inworld AI has worked with several notable companies and projects to implement its AI character technology. The company has created AI-driven NPC experiences for Team Miaozi (NetEase Games), Niantic 8th Wall, LG UPlus, and Alpine Electronics. Inworld's technology has also been used in community-created mods for popular games like Skyrim, Stardew Valley, and Grand Theft Auto V. In 2022, as part of the Disney Accelerator program, Inworld demonstrated a 'Droid Maker' prototype created in collaboration with ILM Immersive. The company's Character Engine is featured in Unity's AI Marketplace as a Unity Verified Solution, and Inworld has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games. Additionally, Inworld AI has integrated its technology with Unreal Engine's MetaHumans to enhance character creation capabilities.

Inworld AI

Soul Machines, founded in 2016 by Greg Cross and Mark Sagar, specializes in creating hyper-realistic, autonomously animated digital people powered by artificial intelligence. The company's technology combines advanced AI, natural language processing, and computer graphics to produce interactive digital avatars that can engage in real-time conversations and respond with human-like facial expressions and emotions. Soul Machines' core product is its Digital DNA Studio, which allows users to design and deploy customized Digital People capable of integrating with GPT three and four to create engaging AI experiences. The company's autonomous animation technology is driven by a digital brain that simulates human behavior, resulting in highly lifelike digital avatars.
Soul Machines has developed various AI assistants for consumer use, including language learning, travel planning, and homework help avatars. These digital people are designed to provide personalized experiences and are available through a freemium model with monthly subscription options. The company's technology has been applied across multiple industries, including customer service, brand representation, and entertainment. In 2023, Soul Machines launched an Entertainment division aimed at creating digital twins of celebrities and athletes to enhance fan engagement.
As of July 2024, Soul Machines underwent significant changes in leadership and structure. Co-founders Greg Cross and Mark Sagar departed from their executive roles and board positions. Julie Kim, a former Uber marketing executive, took over as CEO in September 2023. The company also experienced layoffs and a shift in its business model, moving toward a more consumer-focused approach with its AI assistants.

Soul Machines

DeepBrain AI is a deep-learning-based video synthesis company specializing in AI-generated virtual humans. The company's flagship product, AI Studios, enables users to create high-definition videos featuring virtual humans by simply typing a script. DeepBrain AI's technology utilizes real-time artificial intelligence and video synthesis to generate realistic human-like AI avatars, reducing the cost and time of video production while improving digital engagement quality. The platform offers over 100 AI avatars proficient in more than 80 languages and voices, catering to diverse ethnicities and professions.
DeepBrain AI's solutions have applications across various industries, including media, finance, commerce, hospitality, and education. In March 2023, the company launched AI Studios 2.0, integrating ChatGPT for enhanced script generation. This release contributed to a 900% revenue growth for the quarter and a 533% increase in the user base. DeepBrain AI also introduced AI Interview in May 2023, combining generative AI video with OpenAI's large language model to streamline the interview screening process. The company's technology has been utilized in innovative ways, such as creating an AI avatar for a person diagnosed with ALS to help them communicate and stay connected.
As of July 2023, DeepBrain AI reported significant growth, doubling its US team size over the previous year. The company has established partnerships with major technology firms, joining the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network and becoming part of Lenovo's AI Innovator partner ecosystem. DeepBrain AI's commitment to innovation has been recognized with multiple awards, including the CES Innovation Awards in 2022 and 2023.

DeepBrain AI

Digital Domain is a renowned visual effects company founded in 1993 by film director James Cameron, visual effects pioneer Scott Ross, and make-up effects creator Stan Winston. The company specializes in creating visual effects for feature films, television, and other media. Digital Domain has worked on over 500 films, including blockbusters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Dune franchise, and award-winning productions like Titanic and RRR. The company has earned three Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and has contributed to six of the top 20 highest-grossing films globally.
Digital Domain's technology portfolio includes Masquerade, a facial motion capture system used in films like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In April 2024, the company introduced Masquerade3, an advanced markerless facial capture technology that eliminates the need for tracking markers on actors' faces. This innovation aims to streamline production processes, reduce costs, and improve the quality of facial animations.
The company is expanding its focus beyond entertainment, exploring applications of its technology in sectors such as banking, education, elderly services, and tourism. In July 2024, Digital Domain announced plans to invest USUSD 26 million in a new research and development center at Hong Kong Science Park. This facility will concentrate on developing AI-powered virtual humans and advancing AI video production technology.
Despite its technological achievements, Digital Domain has faced financial challenges. After declaring bankruptcy in 2012, the company was acquired by Hong Kong-based Sun Innovation Holdings. In 2023, Digital Domain reported a 23% decline in revenue and a 45% decrease in gross profit compared to the previous year, resulting in its ninth consecutive year of financial losses.

Digital Domain

ObEN is an artificial intelligence company specializing in the creation of Personal AI (PAI) technology. Founded in 2014 and based in Pasadena, California, ObEN develops customized, intelligent digital avatars that can mimic the appearance, voice, and behavior of real individuals. The company's technology allows for the creation of digital likenesses capable of speaking in the user's voice in multiple languages, using only a small sample of speech and image data. These digital personas, known as PAIs, can be utilized in various applications including smartphone apps, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, and social networking.
ObEN's full-stack AI technology enables the rapid generation of 3D avatars from 2D selfies, complete with voice conversion capabilities and chatbot features. The company's products allow users and brands to create intelligent digital personas that can be customized to represent any person or character imaginable. ObEN's PAI Studio SaaS platform enables creators, enterprises, and developers to build, manage, and monetize unique interactive experiences using conversational, animated PAIs. This technology facilitates the economical generation of livestream, interactive, or video content.
Key customers and partnerships
ObEN has collaborated with several high-profile clients and partners. In February 2020, the company announced a partnership with Yoshimoto Kogyo, a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate, to bring AI-powered avatar technology to the Japanese market. This collaboration aimed to combine Yoshimoto's entertainment and celebrity IP with ObEN's avatar technology to revolutionize digital interactions between celebrities and fans.
ObEN has also worked with China Central Television (CCTV), creating AI avatars that appeared on the Network Spring Festival Gala in February 2019, which was viewed by nearly 300 million people. ObEN has developed celebrity avatars for Chinese music group SNH48 and formed a joint venture called AI Stars with S.M. Entertainment, Korea's largest entertainment company. This venture aims to connect celebrities with their fans through personalized AI avatars. Additionally, ObEN has worked on projects for investors and clients including SoftBank and NBA stars, demonstrating the wide-ranging applications of its technology across various industries.

ObEN

Digital humans that engage in two-way conversations for customer service and employee training

Digital humans that deliver responsive interactions for virtual events, social media, and entertainment

Interactive digital humans for applications in education, fashion, sports, and others

Digital humans for one-way customer and employee communications, including presentations, training modules, or informational videos, and the like

Digital humans as characters in movies, news reporting, virtual events, and television shows without two-way user interaction

Digital humans as characters for video games without two-way user interaction

Digital humans for applications in fashion, education, sports, and others without two-way user interaction

Several digital humans are integrated with GenAI models

NLP is used by digital humans to understand, process, and generate natural language

AI and ML are used in digital humans to process data and generate responses

Digital humans can be deployed in the metaverse for a variety of purposes, such as virtual customer service, virtual events, and virtual social interactions.

Otermans Institute

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