While critics have been skeptical of Meta's metaverse ambitions in recent years, Mark Zuckerberg's recent appearance as a photorealistic avatar on the Lex Fridman Podcast proves that the concept is very much alive.
In the episode that aired on September 28, Zuckerberg engaged in an hour-long conversation with the renowned computer scientist Lex Fridman, but neither of them appeared in person. Instead, they used lifelike avatars from the Metaverse, powered by Meta's Quest 3 headset and noise-canceling headphones. Meta has faced ridicule for investing heavily in metaverse research only to produce cartoonish avatars with somewhat clunky movements.
However, this time, even critics seemed genuinely impressed by the sophistication of the technology. One Twitter user wrote, "Well, the Metaverse is officially real," which is quite a departure from their usual sarcastic commentary on current events.
Another coder shared their amazement, saying, "Nine minutes into the Lex/Mark Metaverse podcast, I forgot I was watching an avatar." Fridman himself expressed how close he felt to Zuckerberg during the interview and admitted that he had momentarily forgotten he wasn't interacting with the real Zuckerberg.
The technology behind this display is the latest version of Codec Avatars. First introduced in 2019, Codec Avatars is one of Meta's long-running research projects aimed at creating fully lifelike avatars in real time, complete with facial tracking sensors for use with headsets. However, Zuckerberg cautioned that it might be several years before everyday users can utilize such avatars. He explained that the technology currently relies on expensive machine learning software and specialized equipment equipped with over 100 cameras for head scans. He estimated it would take at least three more years before it's accessible to the general public.
Nevertheless, Zuckerberg expressed Meta's intention to reduce barriers, hinting that in the future, such scans might be achievable with regular smartphones. This demo comes hot on the heels of Meta's launch of Meta AI, its latest artificial intelligence assistant, integrated with various chatbots, apps, and even smart glasses.
