This word Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for the past few years, not just in Singapore, around the world too as well. The roles and power of AI technology is going to play a lot more roles and parts in our very near future, on a personal level, as well as on a work/business/society level. How can AI technology makes a difference in our lives, what is the future of AI going to be like? Singtel’s Project NarrAItive – an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven storytelling campaign that demonstrates how technology can foster deep bonds and strengthen intergenerational connections, in celebration of Singapore’s upcoming SG60 celebrations.
Singtel’s Project NarrAItive
Featuring 14 talents comprising Singtel employees and their families, the four-and-a-half-minute film shows how AI helps to bridge gaps in communication between generations through the telling of a folktale about Pulau Ubin, set in pre-colonial Singapore.
The story was narrated in the native languages of seven of the participants. Using AI, these were translated into another language. The result was an accurate dub with lip-sync animation, incorporating natural tone, style and emotion that resonated more strongly with the participants. The film gave the participating grandparents and parents who spoke different languages from the younger generations the long-awaited opportunity to connect.
Conceptualised with Hogarth and shot at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s on-campus studio, this initiative is part of Singtel’s ongoing collaboration with educational institutions to leverage AI to foster innovation, enhance experiences and drive learning.
Ms Lynette Poh, Head of Marketing and Communications, Singtel Singapore, said, “We wanted to celebrate the rich cultural tapestry that defines Singapore and highlight Singtel’s commitment to building bonds and connections using cutting-edge technology this SG60. Many of the family members who watched the film, teared seeing their onscreen parent or grandparent communicate so seamlessly in a language they understood and felt a strong sense of connection to them, like never before. We see AI as a powerful enabler, that can help us to bridge communication gaps and build strong bonds among communities.”
Exploring AI Technology in Filmmaking
The participants in Project NarrAItive tell the story of the Legend of Pulau Ubin – where a pig, an elephant and a frog race to reach the shores of Johor with a condition that the animal that reaches last reached will turn to stone. This story was selected as it wasn’t commonly known despite the island being a popular leisure destination.
Developed in partnership with Hogarth and Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies, the campaign utilises AI-powered voice-generation, lip-syncing and generative art technology to enable authentic multilingual storytelling, showcasing the power of AI in transcending language barriers. With AI, expressions and voice samples were captured during filming and used to create animated facial movements and overlaid voices. It was also used to generate images to bring the story to life.
Multiple AI tools were employed to create a series of videos with AI avatars, realistic voiceovers and custom imagery. The tools enabled the automation of tasks like voice-to-voice analysis to learn and apply the nuances of the participants’ original voice data for localisation to other languages, as well as created unique images.
To ensure the security, privacy and ethical use of data, Singtel set up and observed strict protocols throughout the production process, including providing participants with full details on the use of their data, securing the inputs and outputs from the AI tools, ensuring scheduled data deletion, restricting access control and implementing a Data Protection Impact Assessment that helped identify potential risks and mitigation measures for this campaign.
Catch Singtel’s Project NarrAItive on Singtel’s YouTube channel today, with vignettes on Singtel’s Instagram and Tik Tok channels.
* Information and pictures courtesy of Singtel *