Nvidia has unveiled a prototype AI avatar, R2X, at CES 2025, which brings a human-like assistant to your desktop. The avatar, rendered and animated using Nvidia's AI models, can help users navigate apps on their computer, upload files for processing, and even view what's happening live on their screen or camera.

R2X is not just a novelty; it's a promising user interface for AI assistants, combining generative video game capabilities with cutting-edge AI technology. The avatar can be run on popular large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's GPT-4o or xAI's Grok, allowing users to interact with it through text and voice commands.

In demos, R2X showed its capabilities, including taking constant screenshots of the screen and running them through an AI model for processing, offering feedback on applications running on the computer, and helping with complex coding tasks. Although still a prototype, R2X demonstrated its potential, despite some limitations and bugs.

One of the notable features of R2X is its ability to view and assist users with apps on their screen. In a demo, the avatar helped use Adobe Photoshop's generative fill feature, although it gave incorrect instructions at one point. However, after switching to xAI's Grok AI model, the avatar regained its screen viewing abilities.

R2X can also ingest files and answer questions about them, using a local retrieval augmented generation feature that pulls information from a document and processes it using its underlying LLM. Additionally, Nvidia plans to enable R2X to join Microsoft Teams meetings, acting as a personal assistant.

Nvidia is using AI models from its video game division to power the avatar's appearance, including its RTX neural faces algorithm and Audio2Face-3D model. Although the Audio2Face-3D model sometimes stalled, holding the avatar's face in awkward positions, the company is working to refine the technology.

The company plans to open-source R2X in the first half of 2025, allowing developers to build with the technology and plug in their favorite AI software products or run the avatars locally. This move could lead to a new wave of AI-powered desktop assistants, revolutionizing the way we interact with our computers.

While R2X is still in its early stages, it has the potential to change the user interface landscape. As AI avatars become more prevalent, we can expect to see more innovative applications of this technology in various industries, from gaming to enterprise and consumer markets.

With R2X, Nvidia is pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI assistants, and its open-sourcing plans could democratize access to this technology. As the AI avatar space continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see how R2X and similar technologies shape the future of human-computer interaction.