An academic at the University of Worcester has co-written a book that explores and examines the future of creating virtual humans.
The book, Virtual Humans: Today and Tomorrow, is authored by Professor Maggi Savin-Baden, from the University of Worcester, in collaboration with David Burden, Founder and CEO of Daden Limited.
Published by CRC Press, the book explores the place of virtual humans within the wider context of Artificial Intelligence development, helping readers to understand the fast developing field and ethical challenges.
Professor Savin-Baden said: “Today there is a lot of confusion about Virtual Humans and whether we are talking about robots or just machine learning. This book explores the myths and examines the realities of creating virtual humans for today and in the future.
“It provides a range of relevant, real-life examples from experts and researchers from around the globe in how to create the avatar body, mind, senses and ability to communicate.”
The book examines the possibility of using virtual humans in a variety of roles, from personal assistants to teaching and coaching, including familiar applications such as Siri, Cortana and Alexa, and the portrayal of virtual humans within Science Fiction.