> they have managed to reduce the required bandwidth for a video call by an order of magnitude. In one example, the required data rate fell from 97.28 KB/frame to a measly 0.1165 KB/frame – a reduction to 0.1% of required bandwidth.<p>A nitpick, perhaps, but isn't that three orders of magnitude?<p>We've already seen people use outlandish backgrounds in calls, now it's going to be possible to design similar outlandish views, but actually <i>be</i> this new invention in real time. There's been a lot of discussion centered around deep fakes and its problems, this is essentially deep faking yourself into whatever you want.<p>Video calls are a very important form of communication at the moment, if this becomes as accepted as background modification, that would open the societal door to a whole range of self presentation that up till now was restricted to in game virtual characters.<p>I wonder what kind of implications that could have. Would people come to identify themselves strongly with a virtual avatar, perhaps stronger than their real life "avatar"? It is an awesome freedom to have, to remake yourself.