26.10.28–29 - NIIGATA AI EXPO 2026 Report: Strong Response to Our AI Virtual Human That Runs on One PC
We exhibited at booth 54 at NIIGATA AI EXPO 2026 on October 28–29. Here is why we took part, what the booth was like, what visitors said, and how to try it free at NINNO3 from December.
On October 28–29 we exhibited at booth 54 at NIIGATA AI EXPO 2026, held at Bandaijima Multipurpose Plaza in Niigata City.
We drew plenty of attention from the first day. Our pitch had more impact than we expected, and event staff and people from many companies came by the booth. We will keep working to energize Niigata with AI.
Why we exhibited in Niigata
MetAI was selected for Niigata Prefecture’s AI Utilization Promotion Lab subsidy. As part of that program, our poster was displayed at the venue entrance and we gave a pitch on stage.
Niigata welcomes many visitors from Japan and abroad, but staff shortages and foreign-language guidance are a heavy burden for information desks, hotels and event venues. In some places the signal is too weak for online AI services. That is why we wanted people to see, talk to and test an AI virtual human that runs on a single on-site PC with no internet connection.
What the booth was like
Our theme was “AI virtual humans × local generative AI.” Our poster read “AI that answers in one second” and “It works even without a signal.”
We set up monitors so visitors could follow a short guide and talk directly to the AI. We showed four avatar types: live-action, anime, 3D character and 3D plus agent. We also suggested uses beyond tourism, such as hotel front desks, reception, hospital and government counters, schools and retail.
The video we showed at the booth
The video is in Japanese with English subtitles.
After the two days
The event was a great success. Thanks in part to everyone who follows us on social media, we were busy for both days. Many visitors seemed to come from manufacturing, tourism, local government and education.
What drew the most attention was our fully local AI virtual human:
- Available as a one-time purchase
- Supports 2D, 3D and live-action avatars
- Voice cloning is possible (with the person’s permission)
- Answers in under one second (based on MetAI’s own tests)
To our knowledge, no other service offers all of this together.
We received many kind comments, such as “it replies so fast,” “the voice is clear” and “it’s like a real person.” Thank you very much. Event staff also told us that everyone who came to the booth was surprised, which made us very happy.
There is still room for improvement, but development has moved faster than we expected.
This is not the end
We will now contact the companies that visited our booth, one by one, and help them with their specific challenges.
From December 2026 to February 2027, our AI virtual human will also be installed at NINNO3 in Chuo Ward, Niigata City. You can try it for free, so if you are nearby, please come and talk to it.
▶ About our AI virtual human ▶ Our original announcement ▶ NIIGATA AI EXPO (official site)