If you’re tired of showing up on video calls looking like a hot mess, Microsoft has you covered, literally.
Microsoft Teams is introducing a new AI-powered beauty filter to help “make people’s lives a little easier” by partnering with cosmetics giant Maybelline to create “virtual makeup” filters, similar to filters used on Instagram and TikTok.
Teams users can choose from 12 different filters, with options to select from various blurring effects and digital makeup color options. And, if they want to take their online look into the real world, each filter will include a breakdown of the Maybelline products and shades that are being used.
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“Whether you are working in-person or virtually, feeling good about yourself can help put your best foot forward,” said Trisha Ayyagari, global brand president of Maybelline New York, in Maybelline’s press release. “That’s why we partnered with Microsoft Teams to develop virtual makeup looks — now even on the busiest day, you can put makeup on with just a click.”
It’s not totally unheard of for companies to use virtual “try-on” experiences to promote their real-world products, but it is unusual to see it in a corporate workplace. Numerous studies show the negative side-effects of relying on filters to change your appearance. And while some AI filters are easy to detect, others — like TikTok’s “Bold Glamour” effect — are much more difficult to figure out.
Other video conferencing platforms like Zoom have also recently implemented beauty effects, such as eyebrow and lipstick filters. But Teams’ new addition takes things a step further, allowing users to completely transform their professional look with a click of a button.
