Vie in the music video. — Photo courtesy of VIB

HÀ NỘI — Vietnam International Bank (VIB) has launched its virtual financial advisor - Vie - with an official music video titled "Vie is AI."

According to VIB, Vie was built with leading modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine learning and 3D simulation. 

Virtual characters in marketing are an effective alternative to real people, and these characters can be easily changed to match a brand's campaign. In Việt Nam, the virtual character, a financial advisor, has barely appeared on the market.

VIB said it had developed Vie to shorten the gap between users and the bank. At the same time, Vie will help advertise banking products and services to Vietnamese customers in a different, exciting and accessible way. 

The VIB representative said there were three main steps in creating Vie: building appearance and personality, creating 3D characters from many different sketches and automatically simulating Vie with technologies popular in Hollywood, such as 3D simulation, Facial Capture and Motion Capture. VIB is one of the first brands to apply Motion Capture in the process of building virtual characters in Việt Nam.

Building looks and personality

VIB has developed Vie's appearance based on analysing and updating beauty trends. For example, Vie has a harmonious and plump face that is expected to bring a close feeling to customers. Vie's hair has two highlight curls with VIB's signature colour. This hairstyle, sharp eyes and heart-shaped lips have built Vie with the modern beauty of Vietnamese youth.

Vie's knowledge is constantly updated with unlimited learning ability through user interaction using AI technology. VIB's virtual financial advisor will deeply understand trends in finance, technology and youth style.

Vie is also built with a smart and dynamic personality. This is reflected in how it communicates to customers, from students, office workers, business people and financial experts, with impressive sentences. 

3D modelling

Each of Vie's movements has been collected from real people. Based on the actor's markers, facial capture technology was applied to record all facial activities according to emotions and body movements, thereby creating the most realistic image. For example, how the face rotates when the body rotates, how the hair moves and how the clothes change are all highly realistic.

At the same time, Vie's expressions are collected using an optical camera. When the actor's face changes expression, the optical camera will fully record and learn to simulate Vie's face according to the actor's marks. Machine learning allows Vie to analyse and self-learn intelligently; when there is sufficient data, it can make different 3D expressive suggestions.

Automatic simulation

All Vie's expressions and movements are automatically simulated and learned through Facial capture technology. This technology analyses every movement and presentation of the actor and later helps Vie automatically learn to perform facial muscle movements that bring out the most realistic expressive nuances. With this technology, the more Vie knows, the more flexible and realistic she becomes. 

Motion Capture technology and Facial Capture are used together to synchronise Vie's actions and facial expressions with the actor. Through the markers on a real person's face, the technology will automatically simulate Vie's look.

Thanks to hyper-realistic 3D technology, Vie's skeletal system is attached to a set of 256 blend shapes, which is a new technology in Asia, even in the film industry.

With technology that synchronises the face and body of real people, each of Vie's gestures and actions is very realistic though it is a virtual character, which will be shown in the music video.

Vie's movement and expression are very realistic, completely different from the 3D character available in Việt Nam years previously. Furthermore, the surreal 3D technology also brings optimal efficiency, allowing VIB to develop more Vie videos and images optimally in terms of time and graphic quality.

After the "Vie is AI" music video debut, VIB will host a talk show introducing details about the virtual financial advisor. Users can understand more about this virtual character at the upcoming event or quickly meet and chat with Vie on social networking platforms.

During the event, stories on VIB credit cards, such as instructions on how to open the card and how to use the card, will be delivered. Vie will also help participants manage their finances effectively such as when using credit cards.— VNS