Eyes wander, and there is nothing wrong with that. But during online video calls or conference, people expect others to remain focus.
Nvidia solves that using an AI it calls 'Eye Contact.' What it does, is automatically detecting users' eyes, to then make as if users' eyes are always on screen. The AI does this by estimating and aligning gaze, to then replace users' eyes in a video stream with a software-controlled simulated eyeballs.
The AI can also attempt to replicate users' natural eye color, and that it can even simulate blinking.
The AI that is shipped with version 1.4 of Nvidia's Broadcast app, is introduced in beta.
In the video promoting the feature, the AI managed to imitate a users' eyeballs, in a way that it would be hard for anyone to know whether or not the user is paying attention.
To make it useful, the feature comes with a disconnect feature, so when users get to a certain distance away from the camera, the AI will automatically stop the consistent gaze and wait for them to return to the minimum distance.
Impressively, the AI even works when the person is on their phone and with other obstacles around their face.
The feature of this AI should also be useful for streamers, because having always-staring eyes, should be better for ‘engagement’.
But in some ways, Nvidia wants feedback, because since eyes are the windows to the soul, eye contact that never breaks may seem unnatural and creepy at times.
This is why the response to Nvidia's feature on social media has been largely negative.
This isn't the first time a company wants to simulate eye contact using AI.
Back in 2019, Apple introduced 'Eye Contact' feature to FaceTime.
But again, since results can be eerily scary, just like Nvidia's version of the technology, Apple's AI-powered Eye Contact also faced a generally negative reception upon its introduction.
People simply freaked out.
Eye contact is important, and has always been part of human communication.
Eye contact is what happens when a person looks at another person's eyes. This is a form of nonverbal communication that humans use to communicate many forms of emotions.
However, to make communication effective, sometimes, breaking eye contact is necessary, and must be done once in a while, if not often.
Whereas people may not be able to maintain eye contact when they're shy or lack the confidence, but locking eyes with someone else for more than 7-10 seconds can be intuitively regarded as creepy or uncomfortable.
But regardless, while it may seem unnerving, some have suggested that this technology could help people with autism, particularly those with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).
The AI could be handy for those who struggle to keep eye contact during meetings and livestreams.