Have you ever wished you could change your background in a video call without having to use a green screen or a pre-recorded image? Well, Google has some good news for you. The new feature that allows you to use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate realistic and dynamic video backgrounds for your Google Meet sessions.
In this article, we will answer these questions and more, so read on to find out everything you need to know about Google’s latest innovation in video conferencing.
Table of Contents
Why are AI Video Backgrounds Useful?
AI video backgrounds are virtual backgrounds that are created by using machine learning algorithms to analyze your real-time video feed and synthesize a realistic and dynamic scene behind you.
Unlike static images or videos that you can use as virtual backgrounds in some video conferencing platforms, AI video backgrounds are not pre-recorded or fixed, but rather adapt to your movements, lighting, and camera angle. For example, they can help you:
- Enhance your privacy and security by hiding your actual surroundings from others
- Improve your professionalism and credibility by creating a more suitable environment for your meetings
- Boost your creativity and engagement by adding some fun and variety to your sessions
- Customize your appearance and mood by choosing a background that matches your personality and preferences
How AI Video Backgrounds work?
AI video backgrounds work by using a combination of computer vision and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Computer vision is a branch of AI that deals with enabling machines to understand and process visual information, such as images or videos.
The generator tries to create realistic images or videos from random noise, while the discriminator tries to distinguish between real and fake ones. By training the generator and the discriminator on a large dataset of images or videos, the model can learn to produce high-quality synthetic outputs that can fool the human eye.
You can also check out our blog, Google Meet Adds New Quick Action Button for Web Users for more tips and tutorials on Google Meet Adds New Quick Action for Web Users
How to use AI Video Backgrounds in Meet?
If you are interested in trying out AI video backgrounds in Meet, here are some steps you need to follow:
Check if you have access to the feature: The feature is currently in beta testing and is only available to a limited number of users who have been invited by Google. You can check if you have access to the feature by opening Meet on your Chrome browser and looking for the “Background effects” option in the settings menu.
Choose a background: Once you have access to the feature, you can choose from a variety of AI-generated video backgrounds that are categorized into three themes: office scenes, nature scenes, and 3D animation.
Customize your background: You can also customize your background by adjusting the intensity of the effect, which determines how much of your real background is visible behind you. You can choose from three levels of intensity: low, medium, or high.
Enjoy your meeting: After choosing and customizing your background, you can enjoy your meeting with your new AI-generated video background. You can change your background at any time during the meeting by going back to the settings menu and selecting a different one.
Benefits of AI Backgrounds in Google Meet
AI-generated video backgrounds can offer several benefits for Meet users, such as:
Increased realism: Unlike static images or videos that can look unnatural or distorted when you move or change your camera angle, AI-generated video backgrounds can adjust to your movements and create a more realistic effect.
Reduced bandwidth: Unlike streaming a pre-recorded video as your virtual background, which can consume a lot of bandwidth and affect your video quality, AI-generated video backgrounds can run locally on your device and use less data.
Challenges and Limitations
Some of the possible drawbacks of this technology are:
High computational cost: Generating realistic and dynamic video backgrounds requires a lot of processing power and memory, which can affect your device’s performance and battery life.
Low quality: Generating realistic and dynamic video backgrounds is not an easy task, and the results may not always be perfect. You may encounter some glitches, artifacts, or inconsistencies in your output, especially if your foreground is complex or unclear, or if your lighting or camera angle is poor.
FAQs
What devices support AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet?
This feature is currently supported on Chrome browsers on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Chrome OS devices; Android devices with Android 8.0 or higher; iOS devices with iOS 14.0 or higher.
Can I use my own images or videos as AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet?
No, you cannot use your own images or videos as AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet. You can only choose from the predefined backgrounds that are provided by Google.
Can I use AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet with other video conferencing platforms?
No, you cannot use AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet with other video conferencing platforms. You can only use this feature in Meet sessions.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about Google’s new feature that allows you to use AI-generated video backgrounds in Meet. We have explained what they are, how they work, what their benefits and challenges are, how to use them, what some examples are, and what their future prospects and implications are.
If you have any questions or feedback about this article or this feature, please feel free to leave a comment below.
