26.10.16 - MetAI unveils a 100% local AI virtual human that runs on one PC with no internet: built in under an hour, debut at NIIGATA AI EXPO Oct 28–29
A fully local AI virtual human that runs on one PC with no internet. Creation drops from about a month to under an hour and replies come in under a second. Selected for a Niigata subsidy; debut at NIIGATA AI EXPO.
MetAI LLC (合同会社MetAI) has announced a fully local AI virtual human that runs on a single PC with no internet connection. It addresses staff shortages and multilingual needs at tourist information desks, and the loss of trust caused by wrong guidance. A prototype will be shown for the first time at NIIGATA AI EXPO 2026 (Booth 54) on October 28–29, 2026.
Before and now
- Avatar creation: about 1 month (typical) → 1 day (our earlier method) → under 1 hour
- Response time: 2–10 s → 1–6 s → under 1 s
- Environment: internet required → no internet, one PC
- Cost: ongoing API fees → one-time purchase, no API fees
Speech recognition, answer generation, voice synthesis and lip movement all run on the local PC. Figures come from MetAI’s own tests on an HP workstation and are not independently verified.
Highlights
- Live-action, plus anime, 2D, 3D and full-body characters prototyped in-house
- Switch character, voice and background with one tap
- Detects Japanese, English and Spanish automatically and answers in the same language (Chinese and Korean in progress)
- Answers only from registered official information (RAG); points to a contact when it does not know
- Conversation logs and visitor feedback organized automatically
- Optional website embedding and QR-code access
Use cases
Tourist information; reception and customer service at companies, hospitals and exhibition booths; promotion of local mascots, characters and IP; education and training; and AI agents that handle tasks such as scheduling and social media.
Niigata subsidy and pilot
The project was selected under the FY2026 AI Utilization Promotion Lab subsidy (NIIGATA AI Digital Playground). A pilot will run at the NINNO3 meeting rooms from December 2026 to February 2027; afterwards deployment to tourist facilities and companies in Niigata will proceed with ASK Corporation (株式会社アスク) as the contact. Partners: ASK Corporation (株式会社アスク), HP Japan (株式会社日本HP), Kiyama Sangyo Co., Ltd. (木山産業株式会社) and Kento Housou Inc. (株式会社けんと放送).
The product is under development and a prototype will be shown at the EXPO. See the press release (PR TIMES) and the AI virtual human page.