Snapchat has just joined the artificial intelligence (AI) playing field, announcing its new AI selfie feature “Dreams” on August 29, powered by open-source technology.
This latest addition, found in the Memories section of Snapchat’s camera roll, will allow users to explore generative AI-generated selfies, but will initially roll out to Australia and New Zealand’s user base. However, Snap Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, expects to expand the rollout to users worldwide in the coming weeks.
Dreams’ rollout began in Australia and New Zealand, with availability expanding to users around the world over the next few weeks.
Dreams follows Snap’s earlier release of the My AI chatbot and is an attempt to capture the popularity of AI-enhanced selfies, such as those found in apps like Lensa.
When Lenses When Snapchat users first appeared on the platform in 2015, they were thrilled to change their look and style through augmented reality (AR), including “budding dog ears” and changing their hair color.
Create your own ‘dream’
To use Dreams, users upload a series of personal selfies within the app, tailored specifically for the feature. Snapchat then offers a selection of themed packs, each containing eight AI-generated photos.
Themes include concepts like lookalikes or back-to-school looks. While the first Dreams pack is free, additional packs can be purchased for $1 through in-app purchases.
According to Jack Brody, Snap’s VP of Product, Dreams aligns with Snapchat’s playful and creative approach to engaging its user base.
Snap gave The edgefrom Alex Heath early access to Snapchat’s Dreams feature to try for his editorial review, where he said it took him about 30 minutes to receive his generated Dream images after uploading his selfie and agreeing to the terms of service.
An important takeaway from the Dreams Terms of Service is that Snapchat users are not allowed to buy Dreams for someone else’s Snapchat account, but they can share Dreams on and off the platform. If a user decides to share Dreams outside of Snapchat, they must retain the watermark and/or other attributes or logos embedded in the final Dreams output.
However, according to Heath, the results were a mixed bag in terms of resemblance to his original photo.
“Several of the dreams I received didn’t really look like me, although there were a few funny ones I’d like to share as a joke,” Heath said in his review. “Most of the images didn’t seem to reflect my likeness compared to the selfies I’ve taken in Lensa and other AI apps. He added that the second doppelgänger-themed package he tried produced results that were “all over the place.”
Snap also stressed that users will not be able to create their own dreams with custom prompts for now. Brody hinted that “eventually” there would be more AI options, similar to how the company expanded its Lens offerings with community-created designs.
“For example, if you look at the way we approached AR, all the lenses we made when we first came out were made in-house,” Brody told The Verge. “Over time, we’ve opened this up to the community and we have a robust process in place to ensure that community lenses meet our community guidelines and are also loved by the community. So I think if you look at Dreams, that’s the way we approach it.
Brody also told The Verge that every art style it currently offers is created by Snap employees.
The company also plans to allow users to include friends in their dreams, with users agreeing to this even before using Dreams in single-player mode. The terms of service also refer to Sponsored Dreams, suggesting that larger IP franchises and brands could soon become part of the Dreams experience.
Despite not making headlines as often as some of its competitors, Snapchat has a sizable user base. In July, Snap reported 397 million daily active users (DAU) in the past quarter, and expects DAU to be between 405 million and 406 million in Q3, according to CNBC.
Just as much of the big tech companies had to cut costs and labor, Snap implemented its cost-cutting plan in 2022, laying off 20% of the company’s total workforce, which was 6,400 at the time. As of June 30, 2023, Snap reported that it had 5,286 full-time employees.
With the launch of Dreams, Snapchat aims to cement its position as an AI candidate in the social media landscape.
Editor’s note: This article was written by a staff member of nft now in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.