Pickle is an AI-powered tool that creates a digital body double for video calls, allowing users to appear in virtual meetings without being on camera. By recording a short video of yourselve, you can generate an AI avatar that mimics facial expressions and lip movements in real time. This avatar can then replace your live video feed on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, making it look like you are actively participating. But why would you do that? The main appeal of Pickle is flexibility. Some people may want to “attend” meetings while doing other tasks, such as cooking dinner or doing the book keeping. With Pickle you can attend without being on camera. The AI syncs the avatar’s lip movements with your real speech, creating a convincing digital stand-in. To use Pickle, you first record a five-minute video, which the AI processes to create a personalised avatar. Like any AI-driven software, there is a possibility of technical issues, such as occasional mismatches between speech and lip movements. Ethical concerns may also arise regarding transparency in a professional environment. It is indeed questionable whether it is appropriate to use an AI double in meetings without informing others, as it could impact trust.
The service is available through a subscription model, with a basic plan costing $24 per month for 1,000 minutes and a Pro plan at $60 per month for 5,000 minutes. It is currently only available for macOS.
