Surface Pro X gets AI magic to make some serious eye contact in video calls

If eye contact isn’t your forte, Microsoft can lend a hand with AI.

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What you need to know

Microsoft is about to make maintaining eye contact in your video callsmucheasier — if you own aSurface Pro X, that is. The company is now testing a feature with Windows Insiders that leverages AI to make your eyeslooklike they’re staring at the camera, even if you’re watching your screen.

“Powered by artificial intelligence capabilities of the Microsoft SQ1 processor, Eye Contact helps to adjust your gaze on video calls so you appear to be looking directly in the camera on your Surface Pro X,” Microsoft said in ablog postannouncing the latest features in the Windows Insider Dev channel.

It appears the feature will work with any app, so long as it uses the front camera. In the settings menu used to toggle the feature, Microsoft clarifies that it only works while your Surface Pro X is in landscape orientation. The eye contact toggle is available via the Surface app at any time.

Because the eye contact feature relies on the Microsoft SQ1 processor inside of the Surface Pro X, it’s unclear if Microsoft intends to eventually ship this to other PCs. However, in a time when more people are working from home than ever — and subsequently participating in more video calls — it’s a handy feature to have.

On the go

The Surface Pro X is a drastic redesign of Microsoft’s Surface Pro line, slimming everything down with an ARM processor and LTE connectivity.

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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter@DthorpLand Instagram@heyitsdtl.