G20 Summit: An exhibition on democracy with specialised speakers, AI-enabled avatars

Tagbin, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, is hosting a special exhibition highlighting India’s democratic traditions titled ‘Bharat: Mother of Democracy’ that will greet the heads of states and other invitees at the G20 summit. The exhibition is being held from September 8-10 in the foyer area of Hall 14, Pragati Maidan.

“We have put technology exhibits in three different areas. In one of the exhibits among the three, we have tried to capture the essence of Indian democracy through different technical concepts,” says Ankit Sinha, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Tagbin.

“One of the special aspects of this exhibit is that it has directional speakers. These specialised speakers are designed to project audio in a conical area, ensuring that only one person at a time, standing within the designated area, can hear the audio content clearly. This audio solution enhances the overall visitor experience at the exhibition,” he added.

The primary objective of this exhibition is to convey to the world that democracy has deep-rooted historical and cultural origins in India, he said.

Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Tagbin has ensured that the exhibition aims to enlighten visitors about India’s profound democratic heritage.

At the entry of the exhibition, an innovative AI Holobox provides personalised greetings to the delegates and other VIPs.

The AI Holobox takes the form of an AI avatar and employs advanced voice cloning technology to generate a real person’s voice to welcome incoming individuals. Notably, it utilises sophisticated face recognition capabilities to identify individuals, offering tailored greetings based on their identity.

“This is the first time in India that an AI avatar, who can talk to you in a very personalised way, will be greeting the visitors,” Sinha said.

“The audio is presented in 16 global languages, including English, French Mandarin, Italian, Korean and Japanese.”

Even if a person is not recognised, they can receive a warm welcome with a predefined text, such as ‘Namaste’.

Moreover, when visitors provide their details, the AI Holobox performs real-time generation and speech synthesis.

At the heart of the exhibition stands a rotating sculpture of the Dancing Girl from the Indus Valley Civilisation, elevated on a podium in the centre of the hall. Informative kiosks placed alongside the sculpture provide detailed descriptions of the same.

The three exhibits have 26 interactive panels that cover a wide array of topics, including 7,000 years of democratic ethos and a comprehensive history of India.

The content for these 26 kiosks has been crafted using AI technology. These kiosks have been strategically arranged in a line.

“For instance, there is a set-up that explores the journey of digital India. We have put up a cycle in front of a big screen. In this set up, visitors will get to know about the transformation of India digital as they peddle the cycle,” Sinha said.

The information shared on the screen revolves around Aadhar card, UPI, bank transaction, economic digitization and how they are helping the country.

“The ‘Mother of Democracy’ exhibition highlights this illustrious legacy of Indian values and much more. By harnessing the power of AI and emerging technologies, we’ve created an immersive experience like no other. This exhibition transcends traditional showcases; it’s a dynamic narrative of India’s democratic legacy,” says Saurav Bhaik, founder and CEO of Tagbin.