The metaverse begins to sound strongly in numerous industries. The future of the Internet will consist of platforms or rooms to interact, but instead of us it will be the avatars that we have designed that will unfold through this new virtual space that will go one step further with respect to social networks.
Let’s compare, chat, flirt and, ultimately, manage a second life in which decisions will take place that affect our real physical life. For example, we will manage virtual money that has actually previously left our bank account. The virtual and the face-to-face will walk hand in hand.
That movie starring Sigourney Weaver – Avatar – comes to mind to remind us to what extent we can mix our real life with the virtual one. That film, in addition to being a worldwide phenomenon at the box office, showed the way of what could come in the near future. Yes, it is science fiction, but you never know how far technology can go and the impact it has on people. By the way, the premiere of Avatar 2 is scheduled for this year, we will see what the world of cinema teaches us this time.
Avatars in businesses and spaces of a lifetime
Returning to the real world, the emergence of intelligent avatars can be a reality in the streets and stores that we regularly visit. For example, in the supermarket we can approach a screen in which an avatar will show us the promotions or products on sale that we have on the shelves. That, or any other information that it can offer us thanks to the artificial intelligence that the software of these machines has.
In the same way we can find ourselves in the middle of the street, waiting for the bus and avatars explaining to us how the traffic is or what alternative we can take on our route.
All this has been seen at CES 2022 in Las Vegas thanks to the story offered by Animatico , a Swiss infrastructure that is revolutionizing the way of offering face-to-face CX. The entity takes influences from agents such as Disney and has designed a tool based on artificial intelligence and controlled by voice, so that one of its avatars can interact with us from our profile as customers or visitors.
Avatars, little used so far
Regardless of everything Avatar taught us on the big screen, avatars have been considered for some years as one of the future pillars of customer service. Until now, however, impractical technology, lack of effective voice control, and poor conversation understanding have led to it being seen as more of a gimmick than an effective business tool.
Animatico wants to reverse this situation and give life and a much more effective use to these dolls. In doing so, he has created a completely intuitive, human-like voice interface with interactive AI characters, transforming avatars from a gimmick to a key business tool. His professionals have tried not to pay attention to details regarding the design and movement of avatar characters to emulate human beings as much as possible. Based on this near-real reproduction, the entity is sure that its avatars can bring enormous benefits to visitors and customers.
How does this technology work and in which sectors is it indicated?
In different videos and materials from the organization, it is clear what the intention is when creating this tool and how it works in different sectors. You just have to approach a screen or rather a terminal to start interacting with the avatars.
The avatar automatically recognizes visitors and customers in the vicinity and encourages them to approach with a subtle invitation. Once they get close, the avatar initiates the interaction, which means visitors and customers can ask for information, ask for location, the fastest route to their destination, product promotions and recommendations. This frees up other staff members normally assigned to these tasks to focus on other important areas of their role, improving worker productivity and efficiency.
A key sector where the Animatico avatar is quickly proving its worth is retail. Increasing customer engagement, reducing churn and effectively guiding the customer through the store are challenges that the retail industry is constantly trying to overcome. Perhaps it is fueling the debate about whether machines can replace humans in jobs, but we leave this question there for everyone’s assessment.
The idea is that the placement of one of these interactive voice avatars is in a strategic place in the store in order to guarantee a proactive approach to customers. Depending on the type of environment, the avatar can be customized to promote products in a fun and engaging way and answer questions the customer might not otherwise be willing to ask.
Customer knowledge and experience
It’s a new experience for the customer, but it can also be an innovative way to increase their engagement. To do this, the avatars themselves can offer messages or content based on gamification . Games related to products or services can help create an emotional and memorable journey for the customer.
In an age where data plays an increasingly important role in helping businesses grow and understand their customer base, the avatar can also provide invaluable analytics to better understand your customer/visitor and Your habits. Using this data to modify and change current systems to ensure a better experience can have a huge impact on businesses in all industries.
Animatico’s intelligent AI-powered avatar ticks all these boxes. It is destined to revolutionize the way museums, offices and commercial environments.