Last January, the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI) unveiled Tong Tong, the “first little girl powered by artificial intelligence,” at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology conference in Beijing. This humanoid virtual prototype replicates the behavior of a three to four-year-old person and can continuously improve through learning and interactions with humans.
What sets Tong Tong apart from other AI models is its level of emotional engagement. It can interpret, identify, and communicate emotions like happiness, anger, and sadness, and respond appropriately to these emotions expressed by others. Additionally, Tong Tong possesses a mind and desires to understand common sense taught by humans, discern right from wrong, express attitudes in various situations, and have the power to shape the future through the TongOS2.AGI operating system and the TONGOL2.0 language learning program.
Zhu Shongchun, director of BIGAI, emphasized the importance of creating entities with a wide range of abilities and understanding the real world in advancing artificial general intelligence. Tong Tong’s mentality and value system are similar to that of a three or four-year-old child, making it constantly being updated to integrate into different aspects of society. From aiding people without company to applications in home automation, healthcare, and education, Zhu sees General Artificial Intelligence as a powerful force for new quality productive forces.
The potential applications of Tong Tong seem to extend beyond personal use into broader societal benefits. In particular, it could be beneficial in countries facing demographic decline and increasing loneliness. However, this project is still in progress with ongoing updates and potential for wide integration into various aspects of everyday life.
Tong N