Zoom's AI Avatars: Your Digital Twin for Meetings Is Coming Soon

Imagine having an AI version of yourself that could attend meetings, give brief updates, and interact with your team—all while you're off enjoying some much-needed downtime. Zoom is getting closer to making this a reality. As part of its broader AI expansion, Zoom has announced that users will soon be able to create a custom AI avatar to record and send short messages, pushing the boundaries of workplace flexibility.

Creating Your Digital Twin

To create a custom AI avatar, users will need to record an initial video that Zoom's AI will use to generate a realistic-looking and -sounding digital version of themselves. This avatar can then deliver brief video messages for the user, but users will need to type out the message they want their digital twin to say. The new feature will only work with Zoom's Clips feature, which allows users to create short video updates for colleagues, streamlining communication.

Deepfake Concerns and Safety Measures

With AI-generated avatars comes the potential for misuse, particularly deepfakes. Zoom is addressing these concerns by implementing advanced authentication, watermarking technology, and strict usage policies to ensure that avatars are only used responsibly. Smita Hashim, Zoom's Chief Product Officer, emphasized during a press briefing that the company is taking these issues seriously to maintain user trust.

AI Avatars and the Future of Meetings

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan previously hinted at the possibility of sending a "digital twin" to attend meetings or manage tasks on the user's behalf while users do something else. Yuan envisioned a future where users could send AI avatars to meetings while they focus on other activities—whether it's handling other work or even relaxing on the beach. The broader goal, according to Yuan, is to use AI to fully automate repetitive tasks, making work more efficient and freeing up users' time for more valuable activities.

Cost and Availability

The custom AI avatars are expected to roll out early next year as part of Zoom's custom AI Companion add-on, available for an additional $12 per month. For users with a paid Zoom subscription but without the add-on, preset AI avatars and voices will still be available for creating clips, providing an alternative to custom avatars.

More AI Features on the Horizon

In addition to the AI avatars, Zoom's new AI Companion add-on will include integrations with third-party productivity tools like Zendesk and Asana. The update also aims to introduce more personalized meeting summary templates, enhancing productivity and customization for users.

What This Means for AI Research and the Future of AI

Zoom's advancements reflect a significant trend in AI development—one where AI is used to replicate human presence and interaction in ways that boost productivity while enabling more flexibility. As AI avatars become more sophisticated, the boundaries between human and digital presence will continue to blur, creating new opportunities for remote work and personal productivity. The implications for AI research are substantial, as these developments push the envelope in areas like voice synthesis, deep learning, and responsible AI use.