Another Crazy Day in AI: A Different Way to Show Up
- Wowza Team
- May 30
- 4 min read
Hello, AI Enthusiasts.
If you’ve been hopping between meetings or running on low battery—this update might just recharge your brain.
Video calls just got a new twist—imagine an AI avatar that shows your face and expressions without you having to be on camera. Real-time, expressive, and even multilingual. The future of “showing up” might not require you at all.
Meanwhile, a new podcast series takes a serious look at AI’s impact in schools and society. And in the workplace? AI’s raising output, but will paychecks follow? The answer might surprise you.
Take these brain snacks with you into the weekend.
Here's another crazy day in AI:
The rise of digital presence
AI Education Project opens studio for AI learning talks
Will AI widen the productivity-pay gap
Some AI tools to try out
TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Video Without the Webcam
Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)
In what kinds of situations would a live avatar be helpful—and when might it feel out of place?
In a time when video calls are an everyday part of work, learning, and social connection, the idea of presenting yourself digitally is getting a rethink. In a recent USA Today piece, contributor Matthew Kayser introduces us to Akool Live Camera—a tool that uses artificial intelligence to generate real-time, realistic avatars of people during live video interactions. Whether you're in a Zoom meeting, hosting a class, or collaborating across time zones, the technology offers an alternative to traditional webcams, raising important questions about presence, identity, and communication.
The Live Camera tool creates an avatar that mirrors your expressions and voice in real time, and can also translate speech into other languages mid-conversation. It’s designed to work across major platforms and is being positioned as useful for anyone who might prefer not to appear on camera directly—whether for personal comfort, privacy, or accessibility. But alongside these functions, it invites broader questions about how digital communication tools are evolving, and how much realism or “liveness” we expect when we interact through a screen.
Some key features to be aware of
Works in real time, creating a photorealistic digital version of you that mirrors your facial movements
Compatible with common video platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams
Includes near-instant voice translation and lip-sync in multiple languages
Offers voice cloning for continuity and expressiveness
Can be used in live meetings, classrooms, interviews, or even content creation
Free during its beta period, with multilingual and privacy controls in place
Created by Dr. Jiajun (Jeff) Lu and the Akool team, focused on digital communication tools
What makes this development notable is less about the technology itself and more about how it’s being introduced into familiar, everyday spaces. Video communication has long relied on cameras as a default, but this tool opens up another route, one that’s not anonymous, but not entirely “live” either. Depending on the context, that in-between space could be helpful or even necessary. In others, it might feel out of sync with the tone of the conversation or the expectations of the audience.
For many users, especially those navigating language barriers or feeling uneasy about being on camera, a real-time avatar could make it easier to participate fully. At the same time, it raises questions around transparency and how we perceive authenticity in digital interactions. If the person speaking looks slightly different or isn’t live on screen in the usual sense, does that change how we listen or how we respond? These aren’t questions with one answer, but they’re worth keeping in mind as tools like these continue to evolve and find new use cases in work, education, and beyond.
Read the full article here.
Check it out here.
OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:
AI Education Project Opens Studio For AI Learning Talks
/News Staff, on Government Technology
The AI Education Project (aiEDU), a nonprofit focused on building AI readiness in education, has launched aiEDU Studios, a new video podcast platform featuring in-depth weekly conversations with experts on AI’s evolving role in schools, work, and society. Hosted by aiEDU co-founder and CEO Alex Kotran, the long-form episodes aim to move beyond soundbites and into deeper discussions about AI implementation. Topics range from data literacy to classroom collaboration and include insights from thought leaders like Kumar Garg and Khushali Narechania. The podcast is part of aiEDU’s broader mission to prepare students and educators for a future shaped by AI.
Read more here.
Will AI Widen The Productivity-Pay Gap?
/John Letzing (Digital Editor, Economics), on World Economic Forum
As AI continues to transform the workplace, questions about whether rising productivity will translate into rising pay remain unresolved. In a new article for the World Economic Forum, John Letzing explores the widening productivity-pay gap and the role AI could play in either bridging or worsening it. While AI promises to boost efficiency—particularly for newer or lower-paid workers—it also threatens to reduce the wage premium for experienced knowledge workers. Chief economists warn that without proactive policies like upskilling and worker protections, AI may deepen inequality even as it improves output.
Read more here.
SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:
That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.
Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉
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