Snap Brings New GenAI-powered Augmented Reality Experiences

As the world remains mesmerized by the creative and innovative capabilities of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), technology companies are looking to infuse this technology to enhance customer experiences.

This includes efforts taken by social networking sites and social media platforms.

Additionally, the advancements made in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) have enabled AR/VR developers to enhance their products and services with generative AI models.

This is what Snap, the creator of instant messaging app Snapchat, is looking to leverage through its latest move.

So, how does Snap plan to use GenAI to boost its AR offering and enable users to create realistic digital experiences? Let’s explore!
 

What New AR Features Is Snap Bringing Its Users?

 

• Through a news release published on its website, Snap announced new Augmented Reality (AR) features and experiences powered by GenAI for its users, including those on Snapchat and its AR developer community.

• “Snap’s GenAI advancements are transforming what’s possible in augmented reality.”

• These advancements include Snap previewing a feature allowing Snapchatters to leverage GenAI capabilities to innovate using Snap’s real-time image model and instantly bring a user’s imagination to life in AR.

• This would be done by typing an idea for the tool to transform and generate vivid AR experiences in real-time.

• This was made possible by Snap’s team of researchers and engineers optimizing GenAI models on mobile devices to generate faster and more performant GenAI outputs.

• Furthermore, the team is constantly working and innovating to make such models faster and lighter, enabling its Snapchat community to “create and communicate with their friends on the go.”

• The company’s GenAI techniques also power Bitmoji Backgrounds, Chat Wallpapers, Dreams, AI Pets and AI Lenses.

 

What Other GenAI Tools Did Snap Announce?

 

• Snap revealed it was also introducing a new GenAI Suite to its AR authoring tool, Lens Studio.

• This will enable AR creators, developers and artists to create custom ML models and assets and mix models, in their Lenses.

• These tools help them save weeks and even months as they don’t need to create new models from scratch.

• “We want to empower anyone to express themselves through the tools in Lens Studio, and the GenAI Suite adds new capabilities to unleash new dimensions of creativity.”

• The GenAI Suite is a part of Snap’s Lens Studio 5.0 release, which has been built from scratch to offer improved productivity, modularity and speed, equipping AR creators with tools to personalize their development workflow.

• Just out of its Beta testing phase and now the “go-to Snap AR development platform”, Lens Studio 5.0 enables creators to go from concepts to (augmented reality).

• It consists of features and capabilities that include an AI Assistant, ML Face Effects, Immersive ML, 3D Assets, Head Morph, Face Mask, Texture and Material Generation.

• According to Bobby Murphy, Snap's Chief Technology Officer, the new features in Lens Studio would be able to produce more complex outputs and reduce the time taken to create AR effects from weeks to hours.

• Murphy said, “What's fun for us is that these tools both stretch the creative space in which people can work, but they're also easy to use, so newcomers can build something unique very quickly.”

• Furthermore, Snap partnered with London’s National Portrait Gallery to offer its users Lenses inspired by iconic portrait styles, which can be submitted and featured on the museum’s “Living Portrait” projection wall.

Do you think this move by Snap will enable it to grow its consumer base? Do you think other social media platforms need to make similar moves?

Let us know in the comments below!