A series of videos unearthed by Reddit users and compiled by Good Content (below) appears to offer more detail. In at least one case, Samsung appears to have captured an actor's likeness and voice to use those as the starting point for a Neon avatar -- the appearances and expressions are realistic because they're initially based on real people. When it comes to their practical purposes, Mistry hinted in a recent LiveMint interview that digitally produced humans like these could serve as a "virtual news anchor, virtual receptionist, or even an AI-generated film star." They'd put a warmer, more accessible face on AI assistants that might otherwise seem cold and robotic.

There are many remaining questions. Are these 3D avatars, or just cleverly-manipulated 2D? Just how much autonomy do they have? And when might people see Neon in the real world? Samsung is expected to say more at CES on January 6th, although it's not certain that you'll get as many answers as you might like.