The cutting-edge of Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been taken a notch higher with Snap announcing the rollout of its Lens Studio 5.0 Beta. A significant upgrade to its existing AR development suite, this new release marks a significant watershed in AR tech by enhancing productivity and incorporating high-caliber AI capabilities. The groundbreaking innovation was unveiled at the company's annual Lens Fest AR developer event.
This significant release includes a partnership between Snap and OpenAI, enabling developers to integrate ChatGPT functionality into their Lenses. This facilitates the generation of text-based content to establish novel, interactive, and pedagogical experiences for Snapchat users. Examples of these potential uses can range from infinite quizzes, randomisers designed by ChatGPT, or entirely new lens types that alter camera style by automatically adding filters or changing modes based on user input.
It’s essential to note that Snap has capitalized on OpenAI’s capabilities before, as their My AI chatbot leverages the company's GPT technology. Nevertheless, the latest collaboration marks a more expansive use of AI.
Another AI-driven addition in Lens Studio 5.0 Beta is the 3D face mask generator, which enables anyone to create a face-centric, viral self-expression Lens in seconds. This innovative feature merges generative AI with Snap's face mesh capacities.
The new release guarantees a massive productivity boost, with projects now loading 18 times faster. More complex AR assignments can be undertaken due to these enhanced efficiencies. Furthermore, Lens Studio 5.0 Beta will embrace version control tools like Git, accommodating multiple developers to simultaneously work on projects.
Snap initiated the Lenses with Digital Goods feature last year, allowing exclusive AR perks within a Lens which users could unlock at a cost. Currently, any developer can access Digital Goods. Snap states that a new section in Lens Explorer will showcase Lenses with Digital Goods, making it simpler for Snapchat users to locate and trial these features.
The company reports that its AR platform now hosts 330,000 developers who have generated close to 3.5 million Lenses, which have been viewed more than 3 trillion times in the past year.
An update was also shared regarding the Lens Creator Rewards program, launched last summer. It offers AR developers the opportunity to earn a monthly reward of up to $7,200 for top-performing Lenses. In its inaugural month, more than 45,000 Lenses opted in, generating over 5 billion Lens interactions from Snapchat users. While actual payout figures were withheld by Snap, it did mention that payment varied depending on Lens performance, with engagement assessed through a proprietary formula based on views and other metrics.
As no-code platforms like AppMaster continue to facilitate scalable, collaborative, and efficient development, the integration of AI capabilities offers a significant leap forward. This not only enables more elaborate design possibilities but also allows developers the opportunity to create more intricate and engaging AR experiences for Snapchat users.
