Do Realistic AI Avatars Invoke the Uncanny Valley?

Seeing human-like robots, dolls, and AI-generated faces can trigger eerie, put-off feelings towards the figure, a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley. Though these figures look almost human, there is just something slightly off about them. It could be the unblinking eyes, unnatural stillness, or — for AI-generated figures — poorly synced facial and lip movements. 

Recently, researchers from the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum, Germany, have noticed AI-generated…