K-Humans: When intelligent assistants have had a VR body
Milan, Italy | 2005-2008
My professional career was deeply influenced by "The Knowledge Navigator" video concept (Apple, 1987). Maybe that's why in 2005, I enthusiastically accepted joining a company pretending to create intelligent virtual assistants: The K-Humans.
I led their R&D Lab, taking care of each visible aspect of the project and infusing theatrical human behaviors into our digital agents.
The technology readiness level: mobile 3D, Voice recognition & the multi-brain approach.
Many years earlier than Siri, when voice technology became addressable from a browser, we attempted a double jump: bringing voice and a 3D full-body animated intelligent agent to the web. - HER, the Movie: love is the ultimate UX | From GUI to E(motional) UI (2006)
Computer as a Theather | Digital Empathy
Business Case
Role
Impact
Kallideas Group, was a 50+ people company, organized both with operative and research teams.
K-Humans is the product name for the intelligent digital agents we designed and delivered to the market.
As R&B Lab Director I hired a multidisciplinary team, including video game artist and 3D-oriented design team: talents that are uncommon -and not easy at all to find and involve- for the web business.
My contribution impacted at many levels:
- Company culture and positioning
- Company Storytelling and Media engagement
- Thought leadership
- A.I. approach
- 3D Visual representation
- Sales
Experiments and Lesson learned
Creating Gabi, the first k-human that get hired in a BigCo.
Do it on a NOKIA's phone. :O
Each k-human had a specific visual identity, mood engine, and knowledge base. Each of those artifact was able to address a specific topic or provide a specific service.
The quest for k-humans' empathy was a very distinctive point of the offering. As year later HER -the movie- told a broader audience:"Love is the ultimate user experience."
Claudia was the main product in the K-humans family and the most famous one. She went on several newspaper and magazines, including Creative Communication (USA).
Claudia compare its newer vs. old version.
K-humans, business case video storyboards
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