Google Meet is testing AI-generated backgrounds

Getting bored of all the usual Google Meet backgrounds? Soon you'll probably be able to quickly create your own with the help of artificial intelligence.

The new feature, noticed by Artem Russakovskii, rolled out as a test on Google Workspace Labs, the company's program that lets a small number of users try new AI features before they roll out more widely.

Users who are enrolled with Google Workspace Labs can try it out by opening Meet, selecting a meeting, clicking on the starry icon that says "Apply visual effects" on mouseover, and then choosing "Generate a background."

From there, users will be able to enter a text prompt and select a style, such as fantasy, photography, illustration and more. In Google's example, the chosen style is "fantasy," and the prompt is "an illustration of a magical forest." You can see the result in the image below.

That's a nice, fantasy-style jungle in the background. Have you created it yourself? Credit: Google

In a help document for this feature, Google explains that Workspace Labs features may sometimes suggest inaccurate or inappropriate information, so you should use them with caution. Google also says that generated images are only for use within Google Meet.

This is a tiny feature and just one of numerous background options in Meet, but it's an example of how AI could alter people's digital lives. Instead of choosing from a finite list of previously created backgrounds, users will be able to generate an infinite number of backgrounds to fit any situation. It's worth noting, however, that AI art has been the subject of criticism, both in terms of the jobs it potentially takes away from human artists, and also concerns around copyright infringement.

There's no word on when AI-based background generation for Meet will become available more widely.