AI-Powered Virtual Makeup in Google Meet

Feature Launch and Competitive Importance

A Step to Enhance: In a move to enhance user experience and its platform's competitiveness, Google Meet has launched an innovative AI-powered virtual makeup feature. This feature provides a quick and practical solution for users who may not have the time or desire to apply real makeup before joining video meetings. This addition elevates Google Meet's standing against leading video conferencing applications like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, which previously offered virtual makeup features.

Virtual Makeup Options and User Experience

Diverse Options: Google Meet offers a diverse selection of 12 different virtual makeup options, specially designed to meet various user preferences. These options are available within the "Appearance" section, as part of the "Portrait touch-up" feature launched in 2023. This new feature goes beyond basic beautification options like skin smoothing, under-eye brightening, and eye whitening, to provide a complete virtual makeup experience using AI.

The Technology Behind Virtual Makeup

Innovative Technology: This innovative technology is characterized by its ability to apply virtual makeup that remains realistically stable on the user's face, even with their natural movements during the call. Thanks to generative AI (Source), the makeup adapts to lighting and facial movements, ensuring the filter stays in place without shifting, even while taking a sip of coffee, for example. This precision makes the virtual appearance look completely natural and not just a filter (Source).

Availability and Privacy

Optional Activation: This new feature is available with optional activation; it is disabled by default, and users can easily activate it before starting a video call or at any time during it. Google Meet offers a convenient experience by saving your preferred makeup choices for future meetings. This AI-powered feature, which processes images on-device to ensure privacy (Source), began its widespread rollout on October 8th across both mobile devices and the web platform, providing users with the ability to appear polished and confident at any time (Source) and potentially helping to cut down on beauty costs (Source).