Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar feature now puts face on the AI chatbot

Google launched Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar, a model update that adds photo-realistic, animated and animal faces to give its AI chatbot a near real-time visual presence, according to a report published 28 September 2026. The release adds non-verbal backchannel reactions and asynchronous tool calling that lets the avatar fetch data and handle complex tasks in the background during an uninterrupted dialogue. Google said it applies strict security safeguards and DeepMind's SynthID to watermark all AI-generated outputs.

Quick summary - click for full details Concise summary of key highlights In one line Google introduces Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar, bringing real-time visual faces, advanced reasoning, and background tool execution to AI chatbots. Key points • Live Avatar facial feature Google has launched Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar, adding photo-realistic, animated, and animal faces to provide a near real-time visual presence. • Multimodal conversational capabilities The AI agent uses verbal and non-verbal backchannel reactions to show understanding and attention without interrupting the active speaker. • Advanced background reasoning Asynchronous tool calling allows the Live Avatar to fetch data and handle complex tasks in the background while maintaining an uninterrupted dialogue. • Safety and watermarking safeguards To respect identity and ensure transparency, Google incorporates strict security safeguards and uses DeepMind's SynthID to watermark all AI-generated outputs. Key statistics 3.8 Model version released by Google Processed with AI. Reviewed by DH Digital Team. Google Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar feature. Published 28 September 2026, 12:24 IST