Zoom to Roll Out Photorealistic AI Avatars for Meetings
Key Points
- Zoom will let users generate photorealistic AI avatars from a single photo.
- Avatars can be dressed in professional outfits and will track real‑time movements.
- Rollout to Workplace users is planned for December, with live camera authentication for security.
- In‑meeting tile notices will indicate when an AI avatar is in use.
- Real‑time voice translation will support multiple languages, enhancing multilingual meetings.
- The AI assistant will gain new capabilities, including cross‑platform note‑taking.
- Zoom aims to move toward a future where digital twins handle routine tasks.
Zoom announced that its upcoming feature will let users generate photorealistic AI avatars from a single photo, enabling a polished virtual presence in video meetings. The avatars can be dressed in various professional outfits and will track the user's movements in real time. Zoom plans to launch the capability for Workplace users in December, accompanied by safeguards such as live camera authentication and on‑screen notices to indicate avatar use. The rollout also includes real‑time voice translation across multiple languages and enhancements to Zoom’s AI assistant.
Zoom Introduces Photorealistic AI Avatars
Zoom disclosed that it will soon allow users to create a photorealistic AI avatar based on a single uploaded or captured photo. The generated avatar can be customized with different professional outfits and will mimic the user’s facial movements and gestures during live meetings. This capability is aimed at providing a polished virtual presence for users who may not be camera‑ready, enabling them to attend meetings as a realistic digital counterpart.
Zoom plans to roll out the avatar feature to Workplace customers in December. The company emphasized that the rollout will include security measures such as live camera authentication to confirm that the person uploading the image is the rightful user. Additionally, Zoom will display in‑meeting tile notices to clearly indicate when an AI avatar is being used, helping to maintain transparency among participants.
Broader AI Enhancements
Alongside the avatar functionality, Zoom is launching a suite of AI‑driven updates. One notable addition is real‑time voice translation, which will allow speakers to be heard in the language of each participant’s choice. The translation engine supports a range of languages, including English, German, Chinese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, and Italian.
Zoom’s AI assistant is also receiving upgrades. The assistant will be capable of scheduling meetings, creating video clips, and, for the first time, joining in‑person sessions on other collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Google Meet to take notes and provide assistance.
Future Vision
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has previously hinted at a future where every user might have a “digital twin” – an AI agent that can act on their behalf, attend meetings, and handle routine tasks like answering emails. While the avatar feature does not yet fulfill that full vision, it represents a concrete step toward more immersive and AI‑enhanced collaboration experiences.
Zoom’s development team acknowledges that the avatar feature remains in development, and enrollment or authentication processes may evolve before the feature becomes generally available. The company’s approach balances innovative user experiences with safeguards to prevent misuse, such as impersonating public figures.