AVAGENT: Bridging Asynchronous Communication Through AI-Powered Virtual Avatars

Asynchronous communication is essential in diverse contexts such as remote meetings, education, and collaboration. However, traditional replay-based systems lack interactivity and often fail to preserve critical contextual cues. This paper introduces Avagent, a novel framework for asynchronous com munication in Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) environments that leverages agentized avatars to bridge temporal and contextual gaps between participants. Unlike typical agent-mediated systems, the framework utilizes users’ data to create Avagents that reflect their actual intent, emotional states, and behaviors. By accurately capturing and replicating both verbal and nonverbal behaviors, Avagents enable more interactive and context-rich communication. This approach facilitates dynamic interactions, enhances social presence, and ensures continuity across timelines. Avagents empower new users to engage interactively with prior discussions, fostering deeper understanding and seamless collaboration with previous users. Envisioning the benefits of Avagents as an engaging and context-rich solution for asynchronous communication, this paper outlines interaction scenarios, a work-in-progress prototype, and associated challenges.