Google Beam: The Future of 3D Video Calls Is Here—No Glasses Required

AI-Powered Holographic Meetings Are Coming to Your Office

Imagine a video call where the person on the other side feels like they’re sitting across from you—leaning in, making eye contact, and even glancing at your notes. That’s the promise of Google Beam, the rebranded Project Starline, a 3D communication platform that ditches clunky VR headsets for a glasses-free, holographic experience. And it’s not sci-fi: early adopters like Deloitte and Salesforce are already testing it.

“This isn’t just better video—it’s a leap toward human presence at scale,” says a Google insider familiar with the project.

How does it work? Google Beam uses AI to transform ordinary 2D video into immersive 3D, analyzing depth, lighting, and facial expressions to recreate lifelike interactions. The system’s secret sauce is its ability to maintain natural eye contact, a notorious weak spot in traditional video calls. Meanwhile, Google Cloud ensures enterprise-grade reliability, making it viable for boardrooms and hospitals alike.

Real-Time Translation Meets 3D Realism

One of Beam’s sleeper hits is its speech translation feature, now live in Google Meet. It delivers near real-time translated conversations while preserving vocal nuances—anger, sarcasm, or excitement—without the robotic flatness of older tools. Think of it as a UN interpreter in your laptop, but with the emotional fidelity of a face-to-face chat.

Google isn’t going solo. Partnerships with Zoom, HP, and AV integrators like AVI-SPL will bring Beam hardware to offices worldwide. HP is set to debut the first devices at InfoComm in a few weeks, targeting Fortune 500 clients. Other early testers include Citadel, NEC, and even Duolingo, which is reportedly using the tech for language tutoring.

“The HP collaboration is just the start. We’re rethinking how teams connect,” notes a partner familiar with the rollout.

For now, Beam’s website (beam.google) offers teasers, but the message is clear: the future of remote work isn’t flat screens—it’s depth, dimension, and a little AI magic.