Easily Create Custom Snapchat Lenses with Snap's New AI Feature by Just Describing Them

Snap Expands AI Tools for Creators at Snap Partner Summit

Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is enhancing its AI capabilities to empower creators. During the Snap Partner Summit held in Santa Monica, California, Snap unveiled a groundbreaking feature called Easy Lens. This innovative tool allows users to transform simple English descriptions into Lenses—Snapchat’s signature augmented reality (AR) elements, including 3D effects, characters, and transformations for photos and videos. Integrated into Snap's developer platform, Lens Studio, Easy Lens leverages advanced generative AI to interpret user input and automatically generate a Lens using existing components.

In addition, Snap is launching Body Morph in Lens Studio, a generative tool designed for creating unique 3D characters, costumes, and outfits based on a text description or reference image. Users can also look forward to a dedicated image generator for Lenses and a vast array of animations for Bitmoji, Snapchat's personalized emoji, which can be combined using a new blending feature.

Future Enhancements

Looking ahead, Snap plans to introduce even more generative features to Lens Studio, including a custom animation generator and a tool allowing creators to upload videos of physical objects that Lens Studio will then convert into 3D assets.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel recently reaffirmed the company’s commitment to generative AI, stating that it plays a pivotal role in the growth of Snap’s creator community. “Our AI Lenses are already among the most widely used on Snapchat,” Spiegel noted. “By employing an on-device model, we can deliver quicker generation times at a reduced cost. This year, we see many more opportunities to enhance identity preservation in generative Snaps, introduce generative video experiences, and inspire users to reinterpret their Snapchat Memories in exciting new ways.”

Growth in Lenses and Creators

According to Snap, the number of creators producing Lenses surged to 375,000 this month, up from 330,000 last November. Similarly, the total number of Lenses available on Snapchat, websites, mobile apps, and Snap's AR glasses, Spectacles, increased from 3.5 million to 4 million during the same timeframe.

Navigating Challenges

Despite these advancements, Snap is under pressure to achieve strong performance. The company’s Q3 earnings fell short of market expectations, primarily due to a declining advertising market—Snap generates nearly all of its revenue from ads. In August, the company's market value plummeted, resulting in a loss of over $4.6 billion in a single day as shares dipped.

In response to these challenges, Spiegel emphasized that Snap will explore new generative AI applications across its offerings while also testing fresh ad formats to attract interest from advertisers, along with a streamlined version of the Snapchat app.