Why DeFiance Media Created the World's First Virtual Human News Anchor
CEO Marc Scarpa shares what they've learned after 1500 news segments
Marc Scarpa has been at the forefront of new media for more than two decades. When he founded DeFiance Media in 2018, he knew that he wanted to do things differently. That started with creating an independent 24-hour news broadcast station with dozens of live shows hosted by recognized influencers and industry leaders. He also planned to use AI technology to create the world’s first virtual human news anchor.
Opportunity, Not Threat
Scarpa laid out his vision and learnings at the Synthedia 2 conference in December. One thing he made clear. Unlike many of his industry colleagues, he viewed deepfake and virtual human technology as an opportunity and not a threat.
I didn't see [deepfakes] as a threat at all. I saw them as a friend. You are looking at CGI graphics and effects in movies all the time. You can bring back Princess Leia, and now you have Tom Cruise deepfake and Mark Zuckerberg deepfake. Well, that's a very interesting media play...[when] putting it in a context that can deliver information in a way that is accurate and credible. And hence, we then went on a journey to determine who could solve the first part of the problem, which is the creation of a virtual human so that we could have the world's first virtual news anchor.
Virtual Human Insights
Another insight that you might be interested in is the difference between using a stock virtual human character versus creating a custom model. Scarpa shared that engagement and brand recognition both rose after the company created its custom virtual human Roxanne.
He shares other learnings as well that you may find useful if you are considering the deployment of your own virtual human solution or want to better understand the space. What I found most valuable was the real-world example of virtual human technology in action shared by a user that is capturing clear benefits.
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