ChatDirector in Google Meet will turn you into 3D avatar

Google Meet is one of the most used communications services, and to make it stand out from the competition, Google is constantly improving it with new functionalities.

Speaking of which, it seems that you’ll soon be able to use 3D avatars on Google Meet. Here’s what we know so far.

3D avatars are coming to Google Meet in an attempt to challenge Microsoft Teams

As you know, Microsoft had plans for 3D avatars in Teams meetings for a while, and not that long ago the company introduced Microsoft Mesh for Teams.

While this sounds like an interesting idea, Microsoft Mesh didn’t meet expectations, and this is why Google thinks this is the perfect moment to launch a similar service.

As MSPowerUsers reports, Google is bringing a new feature to Teams called ChatDirector. Using this tool, you can have 3D avatars during video conferences, 3D environments, and automatic layer transitions.

Spatial awareness is also present, which helps this feature feel like an actual meeting. Unlike Microsoft Mesh which uses 3D cartoon avatars, ChatDirector scans your face and places your model in the meeting.

The avatars can also mimic real-life visual cues such as eye contact, and backgrounds can be set to change depending on who’s speaking at the moment.

While this is just a prototype, it was showcased during the CHI 2024 conference. It still has a long way to go, especially when it comes to user privacy and transforming their likeness into a 3D avatar.

Overall, it’s a fresh take on 3D avatars, and we hope we’ll see it available to the public someday.