Zoom is gearing up to introduce a groundbreaking new feature for its users, though we may have to wait until next year to see it in action. The video conferencing giant announced at its annual developer conference that they will be rolling out a feature capable of transforming user videos into AI-driven realistic digital avatars.
This digital avatar not only includes the head but also upper arms and shoulders, truly embodying a "digital twin." Users simply need to input the content they want their digital avatar to speak, and Zoom will generate audio synchronized with the avatar's lip movements. Sounds amazing, doesn't it?
Smita Hashim, Zoom's Chief Product Officer, stated that this feature aims to help people communicate with colleagues "faster and more efficiently" in an "asynchronous" manner. She emphasized that this avatar can save users valuable time and effort while enhancing the efficiency of video creation.
However, the emergence of this technology has also raised some concerns. We must consider whether it could lead to risks of deepfakes.
In fact, many companies have already developed similar AI technologies that can digitally "clone" a person's face with quite natural synthetic voices. For example, Tavus helps brands create virtual characters for personalized video ads, while Microsoft launched a service last year that can generate convincing digital doubles.
But these tools typically implement strict protective measures to prevent misuse. Tavus requires verbal consent, and Microsoft requires its customers to obtain written permission and consent from all individuals involved in the avatars.
In contrast, Zoom's description of its security measures seems somewhat vague. Hashim mentioned that the company is building "multiple safeguards" for the custom avatar feature, including "advanced authentication" and watermarks. She promised to continue reviewing and adding security measures as needed in the future.
Zoom's move aligns with the grand vision of its CEO, Eric Yuan. He hopes to create AI in the future that can attend Zoom meetings, reply to emails, and even answer calls on your behalf.
However, the emergence of this technology coincides with the rapid spread of deepfakes on social media, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between truth and fake information. This year, deepfake videos involving President Biden, Taylor Swift, and Vice President Kamala Harris have garnered millions of views and shares online. Recently, following the hurricane Helen, numerous false AI-generated images flooded the internet, showing fictional scenes of destruction and human suffering.
Deepfake technology has also been used to target individuals, such as impersonating loved ones for scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, losses related to impersonation scams exceeded $1 billion last year.
So, how exactly does Zoom plan to prevent scammers from using its tools to generate malicious fake videos? It's currently unclear. The company's mock-ups show a visible watermark in the upper right corner of the custom avatar video. However, such watermarks can easily be cropped out by screen recording tools.
We hope to learn more details when Zoom plans to release this feature in the first half of 2025. At that time, users will need to pay an additional $12 per month to use custom avatars in Zoom Clips, its asynchronous video tool.
Regardless of the measures Zoom ultimately adopts, regulatory efforts are underway to curb the proliferation of deepfakes. With no federal laws in the U.S. criminalizing deepfakes, over ten states have enacted regulations against AI-assisted impersonation. California's law (currently on hold) would be the first to give judges the power to order the removal of deepfake content by its publishers, with potential fines for non-compliance.
As Zoom rolls out this new feature, we can't help but ask: Does technological advancement always bring positive effects? While enjoying convenience, are we inadvertently opening Pandora's box? This is something we all need to deeply consider.