It could only happen in NVIDIA Omniverse - the company's virtual world simulation and collaboration platform for 3D workflows.
And it happened during an interview with a virtual toy model of NVIDIA's CEO, Jensen Huang.
What are the greatest one of Toy Jensen's creators asked, stumbling, then stopping before completing his scripted question.
Unfazed, the tiny Toy Jensen paused for a moment, considering the answer carefully.
The greatest are those, Toy Jensen replied, who are kind to others.
Leading-edge computer graphics, physics simulation, a live CEO, and a supporting cast of AI-powered avatars came together to make NVIDIA's GTC keynote - delivered using Omniverse - possible.
Along the way, a little soul got into the mix, too.
The AI-driven comments, added to the keynote as a stinger, provided an unexpected peek at the depth of Omniverse's technology.
Omniverse is the hub in which all the various research domains converge and align and work in unison, says Kevin Margo, a member of NVIDIA's creative team who put the presentation together. Omniverse facilitates the convergence of all of them.
Toy Jensen's ad-lib capped a presentation that seamlessly mixed a real CEO with virtual and real environments as Huang took viewers on a tour of how NVIDIA technologies are weaving AI, graphics and robotics together with humans in real and virtual worlds.
Real CEO, Digital Kitchen While the CEO viewers saw was all real, the environment around him morphed as he spoke to support the story he was telling.
Viewers saw Huang deliver a keynote that seemed to begin, like so many during the global COVID pandemic, in Huang's kitchen.
Then, with a flourish, Huang's kitchen - modeled down to the screws holding its cabinets together - slid away from sight as Huang strolled toward a virtual recreation of Endeavor's gleaming lobby.
One of our goals is to find a way to elevate our keynote events, Margo says. We're always looking for those special moments when we can do something novel and fantastical, and that showcase NVIDIA's latest technological innovations.
It was the start of a visual journey that would take Huang from that lobby to Shannon's, a gathering spot inside Endeavor, through a holodeck, and a data center with stops inside a real robotics lab and the exterior of Endeavor.
Virtual environments such as Huang's kitchen were created by a team using familiar tools supported by Omniverse such as Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max, and Adobe Substance Painter.
Omniverse served to connect them all in real-time - so each team member could see changes made by colleagues using different tools simultaneously, accelerating their work.
That was critical, Margo says.
The virtual and the real came together quickly once live filming began.
A small on-site video team recorded Huang's speech in just four days, starting October 30, in a spare pair of conference rooms at NVIDIA's Silicon Valley headquarters.
Omniverse allowed NVIDIA's team to project the dynamic virtual environments their colleagues had created on a screen behind Huang.
As a result, the light spill onto Huang changed as the scene around him changed, better integrating him into the virtual environment.
And as Huang moved through the scene, or as the camera shifted, the environment changed around Huang.
As the camera moves, the perspective and parallax of the world on the video wall responds accordingly, Mago says.
And because Huang could see the environment projected on the screens around him, he was better able to navigate each scene.
At the Speed of Omniverse All of this accelerated the work of NVIDIA's production team, which had most of what they needed in-camera after each shot rather than adding elaborate digital sets in post-production.
As a result, the video team quickly created a presentation seamlessly blending a real CEO with virtual and real-world settings.
However, Omniverse was more than just a way to speed collaboration between creatives working with real and digital elements hustling to hit a deadline. It also served as the platform that knit the string of demos featured in the keynote together.
To help developers create intelligent, interactive agents with Omniverse that can see, speak, converse on a wide range of subjects and understand naturally spoken intent, Huang announced Omniverse Avatar.
Omniverse brings together a deep stack of technologies - from ray-tracing to recommender systems - that were mixed and matched throughout the keynote to drive a series of stunning demos.
In a demo that swiftly made headlines, Huang showed how Project Tokkio for Omniverse Avatar connects Metropolis computer vision, Riva speech AI, avatar animation and graphics into a real-time conversational AI robot - the Toy Jensen Omniverse Avatar.
The conversation between three of NVIDIA's engineers and a tiny toy model of Huang was more than just a technological tour de force, demonstrating expert, natural Q&A.
It showed how photorealistic modeling of Toy Jensen and his environment - right down to the glint on Toy Jensen's glasses as he moved his head - and NVIDIA's Riva speech synthesis technology powered by the Megatron 530B large language model could support natural, fluid conversations.
To create the demo, NVIDIA's creative team created the digital model in Maya Substance, and Omniverse did the rest.
None of it was manual, you just load up the animation assets and talk to it, he said.
Huang also showed a second demo of Project Tokkio, a customer-service avatar in a restaurant kiosk that was able to see, converse with and understand two customers.
Rather than relying on Megatron, however, this model relied on a model that integrated the restaurant's menu, allowing the avatar to smoothly guide customers through their op
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
It could only happen in NVIDIA Omniverse - the company's virtual world simulation and collaboration platform for 3D workflows.
