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3D AI avatars and lip sync, explained.
For businesses deciding on an AI host, and for developers making their own characters talk. Written from what we build and run every day.
For businesses: 3D AI avatars
- 3 November 2026 · 3 min read3D AI avatars vs video avatars: how they're made, and how they're billedVideo avatars stream a generated video of a face; 3D avatars are drawn live by the visitor's device. The difference decides how they look, how fast they answer and what they cost per conversation.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 4 min readAI avatar vs chatbot: what changes when your website has a faceA chatbot answers in a text box. A 3D AI avatar greets visitors by voice, shows your offers and guides them to the next step. Here is where each one fits, and how to choose.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 4 min readAI avatars, the EU AI Act and GDPR: what your website must tell visitorsSince 2 August 2026, people in the EU must be told when they are talking to an AI. What that means for a talking avatar on your website or in your store, and the privacy basics to settle before launch.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 3 min readHow to prepare your business knowledge for an AI avatarAn AI host is only as good as what she knows. What to gather before a project starts, how to write it so she answers well, and the rules that keep her from saying the wrong thing.Read
For developers: lip sync
- 3 November 2026 · 3 min readARKit blend shapes explained: the 52 face shapes, and the ones speech usesApple's 52 ARKit blend shapes became the common language of facial animation. A complete list, what each group does, and which 29 shapes matter for lip sync.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 4 min readLip sync in three.js: driving ARKit blend shapes from speechHow to make a glTF character talk in three.js: find the morph targets, choose a source of mouth motion, keep it in sync with the audio, and avoid the jumps that make lip sync look cheap.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 3 min readMetaHuman lip sync with ARKit curvesMetaHumans don't use ARKit blend shapes directly, but their face rig accepts ARKit curves through a mapping that ships with every MetaHuman. How the pieces fit, and how to drive the face from speech instead of an iPhone.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 3 min readOculus Lipsync is end-of-life: alternatives for web, Unity and UnrealMeta has retired the Oculus Lipsync plugin. What it did, Meta's own replacement, and the options for lip sync on the web, in Unity and in Unreal, compared.Read
- 3 November 2026 · 2 min readReady Player Me has shut down: keeping your avatars, and keeping them talkingReady Player Me closed its public service on 31 January 2026, after Netflix bought the company. What still works, how to check the avatars you exported, and how to give them lip sync without the platform.Read