I was a bit disappointed they didn't try swapping avatars with each other. Would've been interesting to see the effect of two people temporarily inhabiting each other's skin, albeit virtually.

I wonder if it could be useful technology in helping face transplant patients get used to their new features, in advance of the operation. A virtual mirror, with a reflection of the future.

Yeah I don't get how they looked at SecondLife and VRChat and went "no, people don't want that, people want to be entirely themselves in virtual world".

I think both are useful. If I'm talking with my Mom, or most people I would talk to on Facebook or say Linkedin it seems like a good fit but not most other places. Having an avatar in public places with randoms and the option for a realistic version in private places seems useful.

Sure, but the same technology is what enables you to be a photo-realistic Kzin. Once you have eye, mouth, and body tracking, an effective way to transmit that information in realtime, and a way to apply those motions realistically to a model, then you can swap it out with any compatible model.

They discuss this at some point in the podcast, Zuck specifically saying he is interested in whether the future is photorealistic or more abstract and commenting on some interesting tests they have run that have mixed the two together.