Meta An Impossible Guest
To demonstrate the new mixed reality capabilities of Meta’s Quest 3, we decided to answer the age-old question: if you could have dinner with anyone
living or dead, who would it be?
The Challenge
Bringing the past to life in the present
Designing a conversation with a historic figure sounds great in principle. But how do you retain their cultural authenticity, their individuality and, fundamentally, their humanity? How do you make sure each conversation with them is unique? Our challenge was to ensure that our character not only looked and behaved like a real person, but that they talked like one too. And of course, for a demo that would be used in different environments, it all had to be beautifully simple.
But simplicity, as Leonardo da Vinci once said, is the ultimate sophistication…
The Project
Crafting conversational chemistry using artificial intelligence
To begin the experience, users were invited to reach out and touch ‘The Nocturnal,’ an ancient navigational instrument that acted as the key to a mythical gallery of famous dinner guests, artfully depicted as marble busts. After browsing the options (limited to Leonardo da Vinci for the alpha release), our user’s choice materialized in a chair in front of them, accompanied by key historic items like plates and parchments which were seamlessly integrated with the table surface, blending the real with the virtual. Now, the conversation could begin!
Using prompt engineering techniques that we designed from scratch alongside an advanced conversation matrix, we created dialogue that was 90% unscripted and therefore, far more natural. We even programmed our Leonardo to proactively offer suggestions for discussion, allowing us to keep the conversation engaging while still providing historically accurate information
The Results
Transforming our approach to learning
Rather than getting stuck with one-size-fits-all textbooks, this was a great demonstration of the way in which technology and AI can be used to deliver highly personalized experiences which promote better learning.
By allowing users to follow the thread of their own interest, whether they wanted to discuss the finer points of anatomy or simply get the gossip on the Medici family, we found a new way to engage with the past, which also provided a window into the future." So now that the impossible is possible, the only question left to ask is, who will the next guest be?"