Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel announced a strategic shift toward integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into Snapchat. The move, revealed in an interview with Bloomberg, is aimed at increasing user engagement and personalization on the platform. Spiegel acknowledged that the company's machine learning capabilities are lagging, which is impacting its overall performance.
Focus on personalization
The new focus on AI aims to make Snapchat more engaging and relevant to users. The company plans to leverage his AI to develop improved, personalized tools that can adapt to the changing habits of social media users. Senior machine learning experts within Snap Inc. are collaborating to deliver advanced AI integration.
Prior to this transition, Snapchat was focused on overhauling its advertising business to address previous shortcomings. The new AI-driven approach aims to build on these improvements by delivering a more engaging and customized user experience.
Financial commitment and partnership
Snapchat plans to spend about $1.5 billion annually on AI and machine learning. The platform is also investing in augmented reality (AR) features integrated into its advertising business and user feeds. Over 70% of new Snapchat users engage with AR on their first day using the app, and over 300 million people engage with AR on Snapchat every day.
Cloud service cooperation
Rather than developing AI tools in-house, Snapchat partners with Amazon and Google for cloud services. The company plans to spend 84 cents per day per user on infrastructure each quarter. This collaboration aims to enhance Snapchat's machine learning capabilities and ensure its competitive edge in the evolving social media space.
