Apple has rolled out a Facetime ‘eye contact correction’ feature that makes it feel like callers are looking directly at each other. While technology is everywhere, there's still a gap between online and offline interactions, giving brands the opportunity to inject a human element into their products. We explore the insights behind this feature and the pros and cons of making tech more human.
FaceTime Attention Correction, which launched in early July 2019 on a beta version of iOS 13, digitally alters the screen to make it appear like callers are looking directly into each other’s eyes. Users have speculated that it uses a combination of ARKit, Apple’s augmented reality platform, and the latest iPhones' TrueDepth cameras to map the position of a caller’s face and change it accordingly. Attention Correction brings FaceTime closer to an in-person conversation, eliminating the feeling that the person you’re talking to is looking off to one side.
Some 25% of Gen Yers use video chat every day, saying it creates a more personal experience compared to other channels. While the eye-contact feature adds an aspect of intimacy, some may see the digital manipulation as more surreal rather than less. “There’s an argument in favor of making the experience of video chatting feel more natural,” writes Anna Washenko in Ars Technica, “but there’s an equal argument against forcing an appearance of intimacy or attention.” Writing in FastCompany, Mark Wilson called the feature “an unsettling confirmation that the post-reality age is officially here.”
As tech permeates our every waking moment, online and offline are beginning to merge, and people expect their digital lives to feel just as real as IRL. Relationships, in particular, are feeling this shift. Around 39% of straight and 60% of same-sex American couples first meet online, and more than two-thirds of teens would rather communicate online than in person. As well as facilitating communication, tech and other brands can also connect people on a more human level, without crossing the line between realistic and creepy. Hyundai’s Pixel Factory, for example, caters to both human and digital needs in a collaborative setting, and Squad creates an immersive experience by letting people share what’s on their screen with friends.
Margot Peppers is the Insights Editor at Canvas8, which specializes in behavioral insights and consumer research. Her background is in journalism and copywriting, and she's written for publications and brands in the US and UK. Outside of work you'll find her either writing poetry, spoiling her cat, or playing board games like there's no tomorrow.