Why I'm building digital humans
Hi there.
I am a dreamer. I can get lost for hours in the worlds I build inside my head. Science fiction is a common theme in my exploration of my imagination. Ever since I was little (which was a long time ago now), I'd fantasize about different kinds of artificial beings. Metal robots, life-like androids, holograms, and anything inbetween. All this time I was convinced these beings would stay in the fictional realm in my lifetime. Even just a few years ago I was convinced this will forever be the case.
That has changed faster than anyone expected. Machines can hold a conversation. Synthetic voices can laugh, whisper and get excited. Real-time engines render faces you would swear were filmed. Each of these pieces arrived on its own, and for the first time they can be put together. A digital being that listens to you, answers with its own face and voice, and remembers what you told it last week is within our reach. What was once science fiction is now an engineering problem, and engineering problems can be solved.
That is why I started Presence Point and built the Sentience Engine. I didn't want another chatbot or another menu. I wanted presence: a character who listens while you speak, reacts to how you say things, and feels genuinely there with you.
I believe we are close to a world where digital humanity is woven into everyday life. A tutor who knows exactly where you got stuck yesterday. A companion for someone who lives alone. Game characters who remember how you treated them. A friendly face at the other end of every service, instead of a phone menu. Not replacing the people in our lives, but adding a new kind of presence alongside them.
That future has to be built with care. Believability matters, and so does trust: memory you choose to share, data you stay in control of, and voices that are always marked as AI. I want to build the future I loved dreaming about as a kid.
Dream with me.
The core engine works. Here is an honest look at what is done, what we are building right now and what is still ahead.
From a face you can talk to, to characters that live in the worlds we build.
Anyone can create their own digital humans with their own backstories, voices and personalities, then talk to them face to face. It validates the vision, with believable animation at its core.
Bring every character in a game to life. Sentience memory lets characters know what is happening in the world and remember how the player treats them and others, and use it when they react and talk.
Richer hearing that tells voices apart and recognises people. Characters that react to what they sense on their own and grow through their experiences. No programming needed: describe how a character should behave, or trust the Sentience Engine to decide.
We're preparing a crowdfunding campaign so the people who want this future can help build it, and be the first to meet it. Here is where your support goes.
Idle behaviour and active listening, so a Sentian feels present even in the quiet moments between words.
Our first public product: create your own digital humans with their own backstories, voices and personalities, then talk to them face to face.
I have built this in 18 months as a passion project while working full time. Imagine what I can do working solely on this project. Or better yet, with an entire team behind me.
The campaign is launching soon. Join the waitlist to hear the moment it goes live.