Windows 11 users could get some smart capabilities that let them add AI-powered effects to their video chats, including the ability to transport yourself to a cartoon world.
Windows Latest spotted the effects flagged on
Possible new camera effects: The video looks like a watercolor painting. The video looks like an animated cartoon. The video looks like an illustrated drawing.2/2March 9, 2024
These are the effects of Windows Studio, which is a set of features implemented by Microsoft in Windows 11 that use AI (which requires an NPU on the PC) to achieve various tricks. Currently, one of them is to make it appear that you are making eye contact with the person on the other end of the video call. (In other words, making it look like you're looking at the camera, when you're actually looking at the screen.)
The new capabilities appear to be the option to make the video stream look like an animated cartoon, watercolor painting, or illustrated drawing (like a pencil or felt-tipped work of art; we're assuming something like the video for that classic 'Take on me' by A-ha).
If you're wondering what Windows Studio is capable of as-is, in addition to the aforementioned eye contact feature, which is very useful for facilitating more natural interaction in video chats or meetings, you can also apply background effects. That includes blurring the background in case there's something you don't want other chat participants to see (like the fact that you haven't finished your study in about three years).
The other feature is auto-framing that keeps you centered, with the image zoomed and cropped appropriately, while (or if) you move.
Analysis: That's it, friends!
Another Microsoft leaker, Zac Bowden, answered Jump to the tweet above to confirm that these are the “improved” Windows Studio effects you recently talked about, and that they apparently look “super cool.” They certainly sound slick, although on the quirkier side of the equation than existing Windows Studio functionality: they're fun aspects rather than serious presentation-related AI powers.
So this is something we could see soon in testing, or that seems likely, particularly since two leaks have been involved here. We could even see these effects arrive in Windows 11 24H2 later this year.
Of course, there's no guarantee of that, but it also makes sense given that Microsoft is developing pretty much everything under the sun with additional AI capabilities, wherever they can be included, with a particular focus on creativity right now (and the I like the Paint app).
As far as Microsoft is concerned, the future is very much the AI-enabled PC, complete with NPU acceleration.
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