Nvidia Eye Contact – Comforting or Creepy?

Comforting or creepy? That’s the question that we’re asking regarding Nvidia’s latest addition to their broadcast suite – Eye Contact.

Eye Contact is a system using AI to track a presenter’s eyes and move them so that it appears that you are always looking at the screen. This is designed to keep the presenter engaged with the audience regardless of where they are looking. You can see from the example below from 英伟达 ’s demonstration how the system works.

An advantage to this software is that it allows you to have a script or your notes on a second screen and still make it look like you are engaging through a direct mode of address. This software is available to anyone with an Nvidia RTX graphics card and the Nvidia Broadcast software.

Why is it a good thing?

The benefit of a system like this, is that it will automatically make you maintain eye contact with the camera, even if you must look away for a moment to check on notes or notification during a meeting or live stream. This is fantastic for those who do not have a teleprompter or autocue to rely on for a script, as you can read the script knowing the software will fix your gaze to the audience.

Another benefit is that for those who are not confident looking at a camera for extended periods or suffer from a condition that may prevent them from doing so, it would allow those individuals the opportunity to appear engaging to the audience. This could be quite a comforting option for those that suffer with anxiety or ASD for example. It has the potential to be very inclusive.

So those are some benefits, what are the drawbacks?

As the picture above suggests, you could potentially use this as an audience member in a meeting to give the appearance that you are paying attention to the meeting, whilst doing something else. The demonstration above reveals how effective the system is at detecting the eyes, even at an angle whilst moving, to have them focus on the camera.

The most striking element is the somewhat creepy gaze that the AI delivers. The unwavering stare that it gives the user does make it look like you are being looked through, rather than looked at. The almost “over-engagement” can be seen quite evidently as the user is glaring into your soul and makes you feel more uneasy than anything else.

A research paper by The Royal Society in 2016 details how long someone can hold a mutual gaze for. Their research determined that out of 498 candidates, the average (or mean) length of time that two people would comfortably hold eye contact for was around 3.3 seconds. This is slightly above the most popular (or mode) result of 2.8 seconds. There were of course outliers with the lowest recorded at around one second up to a high of above nine seconds.

Using this Royal Society paper as a basis, would everyone feel uneasy with the constant gaze of someone presenting information at them? According to these results, most likely yes.

To use Eye Contact you will need to install the Nvidia broadcast suite. Computer specification wise you will need a GeForce RTX 2600, Quadro RTX 3000, Titan RTX or higher graphics card, at least 8Gb of RAM and a processor that is on par or better than an Intel i5 8600 or AMD Ryzen r5 2600. Some moderate specs by today’s standards, but not the most accessible for the average business Laptop or Chromebook. Not the best, especially if you are looking to use this programme with platforms such as Teams or Zoom on a budget.

Is it something you should invest in?

Alongside Eye Contact, the Nvidia Broadcast suite comes with some added features including background removal and noise reduction for microphones. Overall, it is a useful piece of software if you are a streamer or someone who has all the equipment and will make use of all the extra features Nvidia Broadcast brings. Another popular use would be for hosting meetings through Teams, Zoom etc. Although as stated previously, you will need to have all the equipment to utilise the software effectively.

It is an interesting system that has potential, but the AI is not perfect yet. It is effective at focussing your attention onto the camera but the eery stare is quite unsettling after a while. It is worth looking into after the system has come out of beta and exploring everything it could potentially offer.

Where do I go to try it out?

If you want to give this system a go, you will need to follow these instructions.

Step 1

Ensure you have the right computer hardware as mentioned earlier in this article - A GeForce RTX 2600, Quadro RTX 3000, Titan RTX or higher graphics card, at least 8Gb of RAM and a processor that is on par or better than an Intel i5 8600 or AMD Ryzen r5 2600.

Step 2

Head to Nvidia’s website and download their Nvidia Broadcast suite from this link: https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/geforce/broadcasting/broadcast-app/

Step 3

Install the Nvidia Suite and login to your Nvidia account (or create one if you do not have one). It’s free to do so, so no cost to you.

Step 4

Once you load the Nvidia Broadcast Suite, select the ‘Camera’ tab from the middle options and select your camera of choice from the dropdown menu on the left. Here you can also choose the popular streaming and recording tool OBS and use a virtual camera should you wish.

Step 5

Now you can enable the effects with the slider at the bottom left and selecting “Eye contact (beta)” from the lowest dropdown box.

Step 6

Enjoy using the eye contact system!

We want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are around the Eye Contact system. Is this revolutionary or a gimmick?

Whilst this system might help with a webcam setup, the best way to ensure proper engagement with your audience is to use a professional studio setup.

Here at Box Bear Ltd , we have a whole host of technology to make presenting easier for you. You can utilise our 32” teleprompter, 35 square metre green screen studio and multi-camera setup to deliver all the information you need in a neat and concise package. We can also help you with all the elements of post-production to bring your vision to life. To find out more, get in touch through our website: https://boxbear.co.uk