Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Leap: Photorealistic Avatars Stun in Lex Fridman Podcast

Remember when everyone was ready to write the metaverse obituary? Well, hold your horses! Mark Zuckerberg just dropped a bombshell that might rewrite the narrative. In a recent episode of the Lex Fridman podcast, Zuck’s metaverse vision showed some serious signs of life, and it’s all thanks to incredibly realistic avatars.

Forget clunky, cartoonish figures. This time, Zuckerberg and Fridman engaged in an hour-long conversation as photorealistic avatars, powered by Meta’s Quest 3 headsets and noise-canceling tech. The kicker? It felt almost real.

From Laughing Stock to Awe-Inspiring Tech?

Meta’s metaverse journey hasn’t been a smooth ride. Critics haven’t held back, especially when billions poured into research seemed to yield less-than-impressive results – remember the cartoonish avatars and the infamous leg debacle? It’s safe to say, the metaverse became a bit of a punchline.

However, this time felt different. Social media, including the often-skeptical Crypto Twitter, reacted with genuine surprise and admiration. Could this be a turning point?

“Ok the metaverse is officially real,” tweeted Gaut, known for his cynical takes, in a surprisingly positive reaction. Coder Jelle Prins echoed this sentiment, stating he even forgot he was watching avatars just minutes into the conversation.

Fridman himself was taken aback by the experience, sharing his real-time impressions of feeling remarkably “close” to Zuckerberg, despite the virtual nature of their interaction. He even confessed how quickly he forgot Zuckerberg wasn’t physically present, uttering, “I’m already forgetting that you’re not real.”

Codec Avatars: The Tech Behind the Illusion

This impressive display is powered by the latest iteration of Codec Avatars, a long-term Meta research project dating back to 2019. The goal? To create real-time, photorealistic avatars using headsets equipped with facial tracking sensors.

Key Features of Codec Avatars:

• Photorealistic Rendering: Moving beyond cartoonish representations to create avatars that are strikingly lifelike.
• Real-time Interaction: Avatars react and mimic expressions in real-time, enhancing the feeling of presence.
• Facial Tracking Technology: Headsets use advanced sensors to capture and translate facial expressions onto the avatar.

When Can You Get Your Own Realistic Avatar? Patience is Key.

While the demo is impressive, don’t expect to create your photorealistic avatar just yet. Zuckerberg clarified that the technology currently relies on:

• Expensive Machine Learning Software
• Specialized Equipment: Including setups with over 100 cameras for full head scans.

This puts consumer availability at least three years down the line, according to Zuckerberg. However, the long-term vision is to democratize this technology. Meta aims to reduce these barriers, with Zuckerberg suggesting that smartphone scans could become a future possibility.

Meta’s AI Push: More Than Just Avatars

This metaverse avatar reveal comes hot on the heels of Meta’s unveiling of Meta AI, their answer to ChatGPT. This new AI assistant is integrated across various platforms, from chatbots to apps and even smart glasses, signaling a broader push into AI innovation.

Is the Metaverse Back on Track?

Zuckerberg’s photorealistic avatar demo is more than just a tech showcase; it’s a statement. It suggests Meta is doubling down on its metaverse ambitions, refining the technology, and potentially silencing critics. While mass adoption of photorealistic avatars is still some years away, this demonstration offers a compelling glimpse into a future where virtual interactions become increasingly indistinguishable from reality. For the crypto community and metaverse enthusiasts, this is a development worth watching closely – the metaverse might just be getting real, after all.