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Google's Project Gemini brings lifelike 3D meetings to Germany this year

Imagine high-fiving a colleague across continents—or passing virtual objects as if face-to-face. Google's new AI tech turns sci-fi meetings into reality. Now, a €50,000 question: Who's ready to ditch flat screens for good?

The image shows a group of people on a video call, all wearing headsets and smiling. In the...
The image shows a group of people on a video call, all wearing headsets and smiling. In the background, there are bookshelves filled with books, a photo frame on the wall, and other objects. At the top and bottom of the image, there is text indicating that the group is participating in a virtual meeting.

Google's Project Gemini brings lifelike 3D meetings to Germany this year

Google is set to unveil Project Gemini, an advanced videoconferencing system, in Germany later this year. The technology uses AI to create lifelike 3D interactions, allowing users to exchange virtual objects or even high-five as if sharing the same space. Meanwhile, the company has also opened a new AI research hub in Berlin, bringing together experts, businesses, and startups under one roof.

At the centre's launch, Germany's Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner will join Google representatives, including researcher Jakob Uszkoreit, co-author of the influential Transformer paper. The event will explore how AI is reshaping research—and the challenges that come with it.

Project Gemini's hardware consists of large-screen pods fitted with six embedded cameras. Each pod costs €25,000, meaning a basic two-pod setup will run €50,000. The system supports sessions for up to three people, though further details on its planned use cases or how it compares to tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams remain unclear.

The technology's standout feature is its AI-driven 3D rendering. Users appear as realistic digital avatars, capable of natural gestures such as passing an object or bumping fists. This level of immersion aims to bridge the gap between remote and in-person collaboration.

The launch coincides with the opening of Google's AI Center in Berlin. The space, repurposed from part of the company's existing office, will serve as a collaborative hub for researchers, startups, and industry partners. During a panel discussion at the event, experts highlighted AI's potential to speed up scientific progress—but stressed that new methods are needed to manage the resulting data and findings.

Alena Buyx of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) added that, despite AI's rapid advances, core skills remain essential. She compared the situation to surgery, where cutting-edge tools still require deep expertise to use effectively.

Project Gemini's German debut marks Google's latest push into AI-enhanced communication. With a price tag of €50,000 for a minimal setup, the system targets high-end collaboration, though its exact market positioning is yet to be detailed. The opening of the Berlin AI Center further signals the company's commitment to fostering innovation through partnerships between academia, startups, and its own research teams.

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