'DEMYSTIFYING' LIFE BEHIND BARS

THIS woman has been described as the "digital face of the Irish Prison Service" in the future.

- BY DARRAGH MCDONAGH

The IPS spent more than €60,000 developing a virtual reality tour of the Midlands Prison last year with the aim of “demystifying’ life behind bars for members of the public.

The original bill for the web-based production was just over €41,000 but it was belatedly decided to add a “high-end” CGI prison officer to the tour at a cost of €20,000. This was intended to provide a “human element” and “soften the feel” of the prison environment.

An Al-generated picture of a smoky-eyed woman with full lips was attached to the proposal to demonstrate how the prison officer might appear.

It was suggested that this could become the “digital face of the Irish Prison Service” in the future.

The addition of the CGI character, who provides commentary during the virtual tour, required animation, motion capture for its actions, lip-synch recording, and Al voice-over training using a neutral Irish accent.