CampusXR and the National Housing Company (NHC) of Saudi Arabia recently partnered in combining the power of AI and XR holograms. CampusXR's collaboration with NHC aimed to develop Hayat, an AI-powered virtual representative fluent in Arabic, that provides information about NHC's expansive housing programs. By leveraging advanced generative AI and holographic displays, the project sought to enhance visitor experiences with real-time, interactive responses, setting a new precedent in AI and Hologram engagement.
(Demo of AI Hologram at NHC event)
The Project: Create a Holographic AI Character
The primary goal of this project was to create an AI figure that serves as an engaging and informative virtual representative for NHC. The AI character is designed to provide a unified user experience when rigged on a hologram with text-to-speech features enabled and a general fluency and understanding in Arabic. Additionally, the project seeks to improve the overall visitor experience within NHC centers by offering intelligent guidance and support through generative AI. Unlike conventional click bots, this AI character generates unique responses in real time and utilizes the latest in ML engineering, similar to how ChatGPT provides a unique response with every prompted message.
Introducing: Hayat
(Photos of the AI Hologram taken at NHC event)
Throughout the AI & HDU fan build process, CampusXR also created a 3D model of Hayat that would display to users within the hologram. After several rounds of development, NHC and CampusXR finalized the 3D character seen above. Hayat, a female figure with an NHC badge, is equipped with several animations that synchronise programmatically with the AI's responses to user queries, resulting in a seamless end to end user experience that gives the effect of a live person speaking in real time.
The AI Building Process
The journey began with an extensive data-gathering and training process. CampusXR collaborated closely with NHC, receiving thousands of documents to train the AI figure comprehensively on information about NHC and Saudi Arabia. This training ensured the AI could provide accurate and detailed information about NHC's offerings, policies, and specific housing bylaws. One of the biggest challenges was training the AI in Arabic, which required innovative translation and processing techniques to integrate the language fluently into the AI's capabilities.
CampusXR trained the AI model on the collected data using advanced machine learning algorithms. The six-week training process involved multiple iterations of testing to ensure the AI could accurately comprehend and respond to a wide range of queries. The AI was equipped with natural language processing (NLP) capabilities to understand and generate human-like responses, making interactions seamless and intuitive.
Given the state of generative AI, the primary barrier was its lack of initial fluency in Arabic and its initial inability to understand the vast array of dialects beyond Modern Standard Arabic. Initially, when the AI was tested solely by providing users with generative responses, it struggled to provide accurate answers to complex questions about housing bylaws in Arabic. The AI would hallucinate or show difficulty in responding to user queries in Arabic. To address this, CampusXR's AI fulfilliment team implemented a multi-step approach to ensure responses were as accurate as possible.
First, they created a knowledge base of pre-written questions and answers extrapolated from the training data provided by NHC. This would be equivalent to a vastly expansive Q+A for the AI to draw responses from. So when a user asks a question, the AI searches through the knowledge base of pre-defined questions and based on an ML algorithm, finds one that closely matches what the user asked. Once a match is found, the AI will retrieve the corresponding answer in the knowledge base and provide it to the user. This approach ensured that critical information was distributed to the end user accurately and better controlled how important information was conveyed, mitigating the risk of generative AI producing incorrect or misleading answers. NHC was able to control how responses to sensitive information were given to users without having to worry about hallucinations from the AI.
If the AI could not find a match in the knowledge base and the information was not deemed critical, it would then use a generative response to address the query. This dual approach helped preserve the AI's generative aspect for non-critical questions while relying on the knowledge base for precise, NHC-approved answers to sensitive information. Based on the training data provided, the ML algorithm pairs user questions with pre-defined answers and resorts to generative responses when the ML algorithm decides it's appropriate to do so.
The next step was calibrating its personality and designing the 3D element that would eventually be rigged on the holographic HDU fan. CampusXR worked with NHC to define the desired personality traits of the AI figure. This involved creating a persona that reflected NHC's brand values—professional, knowledgeable, approachable, and consistent with the cultural context of Saudi Arabia. The AI's responses were fine-tuned to ensure they conveyed these traits consistently.
Mix XR & AI Together For the Best of Both Worlds
To bring the AI figure to life, a holographic fan display was developed. These HDU displays use ultra-high-density LED lights and human persistence of vision (POV) technology to create stunning three-dimensional visual effects.
The holographic fan units are equipped with a base for stability, a protective case for safety, and a connection with a third-party computer for accessing the AI interface. They also have an additional audio system with speakers and a microphone for seamless interaction. These mechanisms are built to work together.
The holographic display creates visually striking effects and enables natural, two-way communication. Visitors can simply approach the display, ask questions, and receive real-time, voice-activated responses from Hayat, enhancing the interactivity and engagement of the experience.
AI Holograms Powered by CampusXR
NHC's partnership with CampusXR exemplifies the innovative spirit driving Saudi Arabia's real estate market. This project showcases the potential of AI and immersive technologies to transform user experiences, providing unparalleled interactions that are both engaging and incredibly effective.
As NHC continues to lead the way in real estate innovation, this collaboration with CampusXR stands as a testament to what can be achieved with the latest cutting-edge technology. This project sets a new benchmark for how AI and XR can enhance everyday user experiences and is a tool that can be harnessed right now. The future is here, and it's powered by XR & AI.