New AI Photo App Allows Conversations with People in Photos

A Japanese company called EmbodyMe has developed a new AI photo app called Xpression Chat that enables users to have interactive conversations with people in photos. The app uses ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, along with a library of 50 voices to bring photos to life. Whether it’s celebrity crushes, lost loved ones, or even pets, users can upload a photo of any person and engage in lifelike conversations with them.

The company envisions potential business applications for this technology, such as creating virtual sales representatives. However, it’s likely that most users will utilize the app for personal reasons, fueling concerns of increasing social isolation and detachment from reality.

Xpression Chat is available for Android and iOS devices. It leverages EmbodyMe’s existing Xpression Camera app, which can animate faces from photos, to transform static images into moving avatars. With the integration of ChatGPT and a wide range of voices, the app offers an interactive and immersive experience.

The promotional material for Xpression Chat is eerily peculiar, suggesting users can have “intimate daily chats” with their favorite celebrities or practice declaring their feelings to secret love interests using the interactive image feature. However, the app’s responses are generated by AI, so there’s no guarantee that the person in the photo will respond as expected.

In addition to the uncanny responses provided by ChatGPT, the app also allows users to define specific details and character traits of the person in the photo, potentially leading to some amusing and far-fetched conversations. The app supports multiple languages and offers a variety of voices to choose from.

EmbodyMe mentions that people have already been using the Xpression Camera app in meetings and live streams, but no specific details are provided. The company intends to pitch Xpression Chat software developer kits to businesses so they can create virtual representatives for their apps, websites, or digital signage. These avatars could assist with tasks such as providing directions in airports and communicating in different languages.

Xpression Chat is free to use with a default image up to five times a day. Premium membership options, offering unlimited photos and chats, are available for $7.99 per week, $79.99 per year, or as a lifetime subscription for $244.99.

Sources: EmbodyMe