How to create virtual meeting backgrounds with AI

Why use AI virtual backgrounds?

AI-generated virtual backgrounds offer a simple way to personalize your video calls while keeping your living space private. Unlike generic stock images or avatars, an AI virtual background reflects your personal style, job role, or the tone of a specific meeting while keeping your face in view.

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How to enhance your meeting with virtual backgrounds

Use AI prompts to generate background images that hide distractions and stand out in meetings. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are versatile, professional background ideas for virtual meetings:

• Sophisticated home office. A clean desk, well-stocked bookshelf with classic novels, and soft lighting from a glowing desk or floor lamp.
• Nature escape. Mountains, beaches, the interiors of a cozy forest cabin, or even a home office with plants and trees.
• Modern and technology-forward. Futuristic, glass-lined architecture, minimalist monochrome rooms, or a neon city skyline at night.
• Branded space. Integrate your company’s colors, slogan, or logo to present a professional look, especially if meeting with clients.
• Pop culture themes. Movie sets or cartoon landscapes with famous characters or superheroes can be fun references or inside jokes with your colleagues.

How to create a virtual background in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular tools for connecting with friends and coworkers. Whether you’re already in a meeting or setting things up in advance, using an AI-generated background is simple. Create a background in Teams in just a few steps:

• Make your background image using an AI image generator.
• Download the image to your laptop or mobile device. Use a standard format like JPG or PNG, ideally sized around 1920 x 1080 pixels for the best fit.
• Open Teams.

If you’re preparing for a meeting in advance, follow these steps:

• Go to your Teams calendar, select a meeting, and select Join.
• From the pre-join screen, select Video effects.
• Navigate to More video effects > Add new.
• Locate your image and apply it to your video feed.

If you’re currently in a Teams meeting:

• Select More actions > Video effects and settings.
• Select Video effects. Then, select Add new to upload and use an image from your computer.
• Use the Preview function to view your background before applying it to your meeting.

And just like that, you’re ready to show your virtual meeting background to the world!

How to choose effective background images

Not all images work equally well for virtual meetings. To ensure that everyone can see and understand you while you’re on the call, keep these tips in mind when selecting background images:

• Keep it simple. Busy images can be distracting or cause blur effects during the call.
• Use soft colors. Bright colors or high-contrast imagery might clash with your lighting or outfit.
• Avoid text. Unless it’s a logo or intentional message, text can appear incorrectly, get cut off, or seem distracting.
• Test it. Preview your background to make sure everything looks clean and professional.

Express your interests and tastes by generating quality background images with AI. Learn how to integrate everyday AI to your workday, such as landing an internship or preparing for interviews.