NCSoft Delays Release of Digital Human Technology Until Next Year

NCSoft’s Digital Human Release Delayed Until Next Year

By Jeonghyeon Lee, Money Today Reporter | 2023.12.12 15:16

NCSoft’s much-anticipated digital human release, initially scheduled for early next year, has been delayed. The company has decided to postpone the release in order to enhance its functionality, focusing on enabling two-way communication rather than just the display of images and videos.

According to industry sources, NCSoft made the decision to delay the release and conduct further research to ensure the digital human’s capabilities meet the high expectations set for it. The digital human, which was first introduced as ‘TJ Kim’, aims to go beyond existing models by allowing natural conversations with real individuals and independent decision-making.

NCSoft has developed advanced AI technology based on its proprietary LLM (Large Language Model) to power the digital human. The company’s primary objective is to integrate these digital humans into its games, allowing non-playable characters to interact with users in a manner that blurs the line between human and AI.

In addition to gaming, NCSoft also plans to offer digital human technology for business-to-business applications. The goal is to provide access to this technology through a platform, allowing widespread adoption among various industries. By leveraging its unique LLM and digital human technology, NCSoft aims to facilitate the development of new technologies in collaboration with other companies.

NCSoft’s commitment to digital human technology is evident through its significant investment in research and development. The company has established an AI center and has been actively conducting research since 2011. With over 300 researchers and substantial investment, NCSoft has also unveiled its LLM, ‘Varco’, for the first time in the industry. This groundbreaking technology is poised to be introduced to financial and securities firms through various business agreements.

An official from NCSoft emphasized the company’s dedication to delivering a high-quality digital human experience. “We realized the importance of allowing the digital human to interact beyond static images and videos,” the official stated. “Our ultimate goal is to create a digital human capable of recognizing and responding to users’ actions, responses, and voices in real time.”

[Copyright @머니투데이, All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited]

Money Today Reporter Jeonghyeon Lee | 2023.12.12 15:16

NCSoft’s digital human release schedule, which had been announced within the year, has been delayed until next year. Instead of releasing Digital Human sometime in January or February next year, NCSoft plans to improve its completeness and release it in a form that enables two-way communication rather than simple images and videos.

According to the industry on the 12th, NCSoft recently decided to delay the publication of digital humans and conduct additional research. Last March, NCSoft unveiled ‘TJ Kim’, a digital human using its own LLM (Large Language Model) and the image of COO (Chief Creative Officer) Kim Taek-jin, and announced that it would unveil a digital human that’ n can two-. communication within the year.

NCSoft explains that the digital human, which will be unveiled early next year, is a completely different concept from existing digital humans that can communicate two-way. As ‘TJ Kim’, a digital human appears in a video and intends to reveal a digital human with the ability to make up its own mind to the point where it can have a natural conversation with a real person on the spot. where, beyond just saying a simple greeting.

NCSoft has equipped Digital Human with productive AI (artificial intelligence) technology based on its own LLM. NCSoft’s top priority is to incorporate digital humans into its games. NCSoft’s plan is to make NPCs (characters that cannot be controlled by the user) in the game communicate with the user according to the situation, making it difficult to distinguish whether they are players or NPCs.

NCSoft also develops digital human technology for B2B (business-to-business). NCSoft intends to provide digital human technology in the form of a platform, such as the recently popular AI profile, so that many people can enjoy it. The aim is to provide our own LLM and human digital technology as a kind of pipeline to other companies to help develop new technologies.

NCSoft opened an AI center and has been conducting research since 2011. NCSoft, which has over 300 researchers and has invested 1.2834 trillion won over the past three years (2020-2022), has also unveiled its own LLM, ‘ Varco’, for the first time in the industry. NCSoft is preparing a business agreement to introduce Varco into its business and provide it to financial and securities firms.

An NCSoft official said, “Regarding digital humans, as we entered the fourth quarter of this year, we decided we needed more time internally to improve quality.” He added, “It was important to publish a digital human that can interact beyond just. graphics.” “The goal is to recognize users’ responses, actions and voices and respond in real time,” he said.

[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]

#Digital #Human #announced.. #Twoway #communication #making #gaming #top #priority