"Look me in the eye
when you talk to me!"

Avatars of the future will be more lifelike and completely adept at generating human interaction in the virtual world, reports ArsTechnica.

Judith Donath of MIT's Media Lab implemented a study to see what makes for a more lifelike virtual experience. Donath found most gestures can be controlled by a single command, such as nodding one's head, waving, and breaking eye contact to end a conversation. Characteristics like these make for a more natural, engaging virtual conversation.

However lifelike, Donath admits such behavior comes with trust and credibility issues. For example, if one is lying, an entirely different suite of behavior must be called-upon.

Other factors that add to an avatar's trustworthiness include a clear gender, a resemblance to the listener and simply appearing more human.