By Alice Chambers |
D-ID is using Microsoft Azure AI Services to scale its digital avatars globally.
The company, which turns text, images, video and voice into interactive avatars for customers across a variety of industries, chose to migrate its solution to Microsoft Azure to ensure strong security, scalability and integration.
The visual components can be anything from a CEO’s digital twin to a fictional animated character to be used across sales, marketing and internal communications.
“We’ve seen high-level executives create avatars for interviews, public appearances, and even book launches when they don’t have the time or energy to attend in person,” says Gil Perry, CEO and co-founder of D-ID. “With advancements in AI and digital avatars, we might soon see avatars integrated into various everyday items, including barcodes on bottles. PepsiCo created a D-ID avatar that was trained as a hydration consultant and showcased it during Cannes Festival of Innovation.”
D-ID uses Microsoft solutions across every stage of its workflow to improve security further, including voice input from Azure AI Services’ Speech-to-Text service and Azure Open AI Service to generate answers. The avatars are then powered and ‘brought to life’ in real time by Azure Kubernetes Services.
The firm then makes this service available through the Azure Marketplace.
“Customers can easily access our API and upgrade their product with a more human, engaging interface,” says Perry. “Microsoft’s strong commitment to ethical and responsible AI practices was a key factor for us. They don’t just react – they work alongside us, bringing real customer opportunities, organising meetings with high-intent leads, screening for relevance, and making sure our time is never wasted. They’ve made us feel like we’re part of Microsoft, not just an external partner.”
D-ID has created of 150,000 visual agents for its customers since the company launched in 2017, which translates into 1,800,000 messages sent and 340,000 minutes spent interacting with people.
The firm’s partnership with Microsoft has also led to the development of Sophia, the world’s first interactive chatbot designed to assist victims of domestic violence. The chatbot provides multilingual support, offering critical information, guidance and emotional assistance to survivors worldwide.
“By combining AI-driven empathy with Microsoft’s secure and scalable cloud infrastructure, D-ID and Microsoft are helping create a safer and more supportive digital environment for those in need,” says Perry.