Snap, owner of Snapchat, has launched its latest iteration of generative AI technology, which will allow users to see more realistic special effects when using phone cameras to film themselves, looking to stay ahead of rivals on social media.
The company pioneered the field of augmented reality (AR), which superimposes computerized effects onto real-world photos or videos. While Snap remains much smaller than rival platforms like Meta, the company opens up a new opportunity and is betting that creating more advanced and extravagant special effects, called ‘Lenses’, will attract new users and advertisers to Snapchat.
AR developers can now create AI-powered lenses, and Snapchat users will be able to use them in their content.
Snap also announced an updated version of its developer program called ‘Lens Studio’, which users and developers can use to create AR features for Snapchat or other websites and apps. Bobby Murphy, Snap’s chief technology officer, said the improved Lens Studio would reduce the time needed to create AR effects from weeks to hours and produce more complex work.
Lens Studio includes a new set of generative AI tools, such as an AI assistant that can answer questions if a developer needs help. Another tool will allow users to type in a prompt and automatically generate a three-dimensional image that they can use in their AR lens, eliminating the need to develop a 3D model from scratch.
Previous versions of AR technology were only capable of simple effects, like placing a hat on a person’s head in a video. Snap’s advancements will allow augmented reality developers to create more realistic lenses, such as making the hat move seamlessly along with a person’s head and match the lighting in the video, Murphy said. Snap also has plans to create full-body AR experiences, rather than just facial ones, such as generating a new outfit, which is currently very difficult to create.
*With information from Reuters/ Cover photo: iStock
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