New Delhi [India], April 11 (ANI): In an innovative fusion of technology and culture, Ikonz Studios has introduced a lifelike AI -driven digital representation of a famous cricket icon Sourav Ganguly integrated within a Holographic Extended Reality (HXR) gadget.
Talking to AI on Friday Ikonz Studios founder and CEO Abhinav Verma Kalidindi described how the avatar not only replicates Ganguly's voice, facial expressions, and movements but also facilitates live, two-way interactions with users. This groundbreaking technology made its debut with Ganguly attending the event, signifying a significant step forward in engaging fans on an immersive level. AI -driven experiences.
Speaking with ANI, Abhinav Verma Kalidindi , who founded and serves as CEO of Ikonz Studios said, " Ikonz Studios essentially focuses on generating a digital clone of an existing person's persona. This is precisely what we've accomplished with Saurav Ganguly. We have developed his avatar in digital format, ensuring it talks, moves, expresses emotions, and even walks just as he does. After crafting this avatar, our next step involves introducing innovative technology into the mix. Known as the holographic extended reality device, it brings these avatars to life."
"That’s what it signifies, HXR—the holographic interface featuring an avatar of Saurav Ganguly. This was introduced yesterday. The device containing Saurav’s avatar has been designed for interactivity. Hence, we refer to it as AI So you could approach Dada with your queries about his knowledge, and he’d reply just as you'd expect from someone named Dada. That’s how it went down yesterday when several events took place, including Mr. Ganguly being present for the unveiling. It turned out to be quite an exhilarating day,” he mentioned.
When questioned regarding the concept behind the innovation, Abhinav stated that Ikonz consistently stood at the crossroads of culture and technology, and was linked with none greater than Mr. Bachchan himself.
"He discusses cultural aspects and bridging different cultures throughout India over numerous decades. Therefore, we feel extremely privileged that he chose to collaborate with us, which allowed us to develop his digital replica. The origin of this idea stemmed from our desire to preserve the legacy of someone who has been profoundly influential for such a considerable time. This is why we named it something akin to 'Ikonz.' We aim to engage with legendary personalities spanning various sectors including not just film and entertainment, but also sports; soon we’ll venture into music both nationally and internationally. However, partnering with Mr. Bachchan has truly been an unparalleled experience. It’s incredibly gratifying knowing that we managed to join forces with him and successfully materialize his representation and vision," as he mentioned.
We have also had the privilege of utilizing that avatar in a banking environment. Recently, up until December, we achieved complete success when we used Mr. Bachchan’s avatar with the HXR device. This device has been installed at 10 different sites throughout the nation, Delhi , Mumbai , Chennai , Gujarat , everywhere, Hyderabad , where you can visit the branch offices of IDFC First Bank and have interactions with Mr. Bachchan regarding banking services. He will guide you through their financial offerings and highlight the key benefits of the bank. You’ll be able to engage directly with him. Ultimately, you could perform transactions or complete various banking tasks while conversing with him. It’s really intriguing. The concept aims to revitalize legendary figures like Mr. Bachchan by bringing them into the forefront of customer engagement within the bank. AI "in manners that would allow them to interact with their fans in an unprecedented one-on-one manner," Abhinav added.
He stated that so far, communication has consistently been one-way, reaching many people at once.
"However, thanks to our technology, fans and consumers can now interact personally with their favorite individuals. For companies, we develop a restricted version of Mr. Bachchan equipped with financial terminology and expertise. This goes beyond merely producing the avatar; we also construct its underlying intelligence. The brain behind the avatar is developed using a system referred to as an AI In an agentic system, we have the ability to refine the brain’s knowledge according to the specific brand we aim to highlight. For instance, having Mr. Bachchan appear in a banking environment would differ significantly from his presence at a retail store or airport. Thus, we can calibrate and make precise adjustments to the brain's responses, ensuring interactions are spot-on. This approach makes everything highly personalized and engaging," he explained.
When discussing the plan to make it a one-on-one experience for individuals, he mentioned that they initially intended to focus on enterprises instead.
"However, if there’s enough consumer interest to enjoy this kind of experience from their homes—based on its performance in retail environments or public settings—we might consider expanding into residential areas. At present, all current and planned installations are targeted towards commercial venues such as shopping centers, airports, banks, jewelers, and various types of retailers. These locations encourage customer interaction. Nonetheless, should there be sufficient demand, we’ve received some inquiries about bringing this experience directly to people's homes. For now though, our immediate focus remains primarily business-oriented," he stated.
On plans to make AI Avatar As for politicians, he stated, “No one has approached us yet, so we’re still in the dark. We’ve worked with Bachchan and Ganguly; therefore, we have partnered with an international talent agency that hasn’t been revealed publicly just yet, pending our announcement. This agency manages around 60% of the world’s celebrities across music, entertainment, and sports—top names from every field—which will be unveiled next month. So far, things are quite hectic, but since nobody has asked us directly, we cannot provide specifics. However, once a formal inquiry arrives, I believe we’ll be ready to respond.”
When discussing the potential for involvement in the defense or security sectors, he mentioned that he believed knowledge could play various roles here. He stated, “If there’s an application where a knowledge management system might be utilized in different settings, it would work provided there are appropriate safeguards. We have both the technological capabilities and the know-how. So, if such an opportunity arises, we ought to consider it seriously,” he explained.
AI Despite its drawbacks, he was questioned regarding his strategies for preventing potential misuses.
He stated, "I believe we typically find ourselves on the correct side of matters, don’t we? Therefore, we approach these influencers, discuss the advantages of collaborating with us, since we would essentially serve as their single trusted source and authorized partner to deliver this digital content." AI Versions of life, where we can embed watermarks into these resources. It’s widely understood that when a watermark exists, it can be verified technologically as genuine evidence. We suggest implementing this approach for the personas or figures we engage with.”
In this manner, folks can learn to distinguish between accurate data and inaccurate data. We continuously strive to improve these segments as they are an integral part of our ongoing progress. I believe. AI will help in identification of false versus true as well. So, in terms of information, at least when it comes to generated personality-driven AI , due to their immense popularity. Therefore, I believe such technologies certainly exist. It’s crucial that these technologies are incorporated appropriately so that one can discern between reality and illusion. Moreover, as we continue developing these systems and progressively introduce additional personas, enhancing security measures will undoubtedly grow increasingly vital,” he noted. (ANI)
