Online meetings make a lot of things easier in the working world. Above all, decentralized teams do not have to meet for every meeting and take long journeys. In times of hybrid work, video calls have become indispensable. But on a personal level there are definitely deficits. Even if the connection is stable for all participants, there are sometimes bumpy interruptions in words. In direct interaction, gestures and facial expressions help with mutual understanding – reading physical signals is often difficult digitally.
Above all, direct eye contact is lost because when we look at other people’s faces we don’t look into the camera and when we look into the camera we don’t see the others in the meeting and their reactions. In addition to work areas such as sales or consulting, the personal level is also extremely important in job interviews. The recruiters and the specialist department only have a few conversations with the applicant to decide whether there is a good personal fit.
Casablanca.AI: digital eye contact in real time
The start-up Casablanca.AI from Pforzheim presented a possible solution to this problem in the TV show “The Lions’ Den” at the beginning of April. The founders were looking for an investment of 500,000 euros and offered the group of investors five percent of the company shares. Maschmeyer was the only investor who wanted to get involved in the start-up, but the company valuation of 10 million euros resulting from the offer was too high for him. The deal ultimately agreed on the show was 500,000 euros for 7.5 percent of the company’s shares and a 2.5 percent increase if the first milestone is reached.
After the broadcast was recorded, usually a few months ago, further negotiations and due diligence, i.e. checking the books, began. “To our regret, we were unable to continue the investment process with Casablanca after the broadcast,” Carsten Maschmeyer told us when asked. During the recording there were already intensive discussions about the company’s valuation, which would actually turn out to be too high in the due diligence after the broadcast. He regrets that the deal fell through, but wishes the founders much success.
We asked the founder and COO Markus Vollmer what exactly the software solution is about:
Human Resources: Mr. Vollmer, what is Casablanca.AI about and how does it work?
Markus Vollmer: With Casablanca we are tackling the existing challenge of a lack of eye contact in video conferences. Using our AI-based software, we create digital eye contact in real time and ensure a natural conversation experience. As a software, Casablanca not only allows the viewer to rest on the other person’s camera, but also virtually aligns the entire head at the ideal angle. As a result, the user’s facial expressions and gestures remain completely natural and realistic. As soon as the user turns their gaze away from the screen, i.e. averts their focus from the conversation partner, Casablanca reacts and ends eye contact. This can work wonders, especially in professional or private business environments. Regardless of whether it is an online job interview, a meeting with a possible business partner in the form of service providers or headhunters, or feedback and onboarding discussions: In most cases, a trusting relationship between the individual parties is required a successful conclusion is reached.
Which companies are already using the tool?
So far we only have test customers in the form of video call centers, some recruiting departments or friendly start-ups, as there is no commercial version for corporate customers yet. In parallel, we are also working with important feedback from around 30,000 beta testers.
What effects do you expect when companies use the software?
According to our own surveys, for example, it is possible to achieve up to 300 percent more degrees or to convince special high potentials of your company or as a new employer. We also recommend using Casablanca company-wide, as it generally contributes to workplace ergonomics, eliminates key causes of the growing phenomenon of Zoom fatigue and can therefore also reduce sickness-related absences.
The tool is completely called Casablanca.AI. To what extent is AI used?
Technically, with Casablanca we rely on specially developed AI technologies, such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), which are invaluable, especially in the area of image processing. The software only works if the user actually looks at the screen of their transmission device. As soon as he averts his eyes, for example to look at his smartphone, the program recognizes this and automatically ends digital eye contact. This ensures authenticity and prevents any artificial staring.
How do you integrate the tool into your own video meeting software?
Casablanca can be used with all common applications such as Zoom or Teams without any additional effort or special circumstances. The tool can be understood as a virtual webcam whose driver is installed on the respective device. As soon as users have installed the software, they can easily select the Casablanca virtual camera in the corresponding video conferencing software as the image source instead of their physical webcam, DSLR camera or camera built into the computer. The meeting can now begin. Users do not have to worry about privacy or data protection and data security, as the image rights remain entirely with the users. The system runs on all standard business devices that have been on sale since 2022.
How much does the tool cost companies?
The trial version for our beta users was of course free. The basic commercial product will soon cost around 7 euros per month for a license or 70 euros per year. Private individuals can benefit from Casablanca free of charge from now on and until further notice.
Info
On April 8, 2024 at 8:15 p.m., the two founders will pitch to investors on the TV show “The Lions’ Den” on VOX. This article was published on April 8th and updated on April 9th with the outcome of the pitch.
Gesine Wagner is primarily responsible for labor law, politics and regulations and is the contact person for everything that has to do with HR start-ups. She also writes about recruiting and employer branding.