Snapchat’s future includes generated AI video footage where users can watch themselves embrace virtual animals on the screen. The first three shots of the app include raccoons and foxes, which animate animals into moments. Meanwhile, the third flower called Spring will produce a bouquet of flowers and use a magnification effect to reveal who holds it. All three lenses, as well as future Snapchat versions, are powered by a generated video model built in-house. Snap said it will add more options to expand users every week.
“We have a long history of bringing Advanced AR, ML and AI tools directly to our community, and we’re excited to see what Snapchatters has created,” Snap said in the announcement. The company added an OpenAI-powered chatbot to its app in 2023 and has since released more AI features. Last year, Snap introduced AI video generation tools for creators, allowing users to create videos from text prompts. The tool has been released to a small number of users, but indicates that the company is making AI videos for the app.
Currently, only users pay $16 per month for the Snapchat Platinum subscription tier to access the app’s new AI video footage. The new lens will first appear in subscribers in the carousel and will be used with the front camera. Any AI videos created by users are automatically saved to memory, and they can then be shared directly with friends, their stories, and with the public through Spotlight.
