Fans of Jane Austen can now 'meet' one of the most favourite characters from her novels - thanks to artificial intelligence technology made by a Surrey university. In a literary world-first, an interactive avatar has been created of Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennet. AI firm StarPal and the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), which is based in Farnham ,, have combined to build "Lizzy" - who can speak, move, and interact with people.
It means Jane Austen fans can now 'meet' and talk with the character. Creators say Lizzy's avatar has been developed to "mirror [her] human qualities" detailed in Pride and Prejudice, such as "humour and empathy". She has also been given "a knowledge bank" from a selection of novels, manuscripts, and period-accurate information - which will allow her to have in-depth conversations with fans.
And, the more she chats with fans, the more her conversations will evolve - meaning each person will have a "unique" experience. This means people can ask Lizzy any question they like - such as her thoughts on romantic lead Mr Darcy - and she will give an answer individual to each person. Students from UCA's Games Arts and Digital Fashion courses designed Lizzy's dress and hair - which are representative of the fashion and style depicted in the 1813 novel.
She has also been set within a Regency-style background, which UCA professors say enhances the "sense of speaking directly to someone from the 18th century". Those interested in meeting Lizzy can do.