Snap just unveiled Specs, its first consumer AR glasses priced at a steep $2,195. Unlike Apple's tethered Vision Pro, Specs are fully standalone, packing dual Snapdragon chips, a 51-degree field of view, hand tracking, and built-in AI assistance. They offer up to four hours of battery life and are slated to ship this fall.
Snap just launched AI Sponsored Snaps, a new ad format that places brand AI agents directly inside Snapchat's Chat inbox. Users can ask questions and get recommendations in real time without leaving the app, with credit bureau Experian signing on as the first alpha partner. With nearly a billion monthly users, Snap is betting the future of ads looks less like banners and more like texting a bot.
Snap just announced plans to lay off around 1,000 employees—16% of its workforce—while closing over 300 open positions. CEO Evan Spiegel told staff that rapid AI advances are eliminating repetitive work and boosting velocity. The company expects the move to save over $500 million by late 2026 to help chart a clear path to net profitability.
Snap just rolled out Snap OS 2.0, giving its AR smart glasses a software overhaul ahead of a wider launch. The update revamps the Spectacles browser with WebXR support, adds a floating Spotlight Lens for vertical videos, and introduces a Travel Mode. Why it matters: Snap plans to launch lighter, Snapdragon-powered Specs in 2026 to take on Meta's Ray-Bans.
Snapchat just launched Imagine Lens, its first AI Lens powered by open text prompts. Instead of being locked into rigid preset filters, users can type whatever prompt they want to create or remix Snaps. It runs on a mix of Snap's internal and third-party models, but for now, it's exclusive to Platinum and Lens+ subscribers.
Snap just announced plans to sell its lightweight AR glasses, Specs, to everyday consumers starting in 2026. The new see-through frames pack an onboard multimodal AI assistant to process video and audio, alongside developer support for OpenAI and Google DeepMind models.
Snapchat just rolled out Sponsored AI Lenses, a new advertising format powered by Snap's proprietary generative AI. Instead of building complex 3D assets or VFX, brands can now transport users' selfies into up to 10 preset generative scenes. Early tests with Uber and Tinder show users spend significantly more time playing with these AI-driven ads than standard sponsored lenses.
Snap just launched its first AI Video Lenses powered by an in-house generative video model. Available to Snapchat Platinum subscribers at $15.99 a month, the initial trio can generate cuddling animals or dramatic zoom-outs directly into saved Snaps. Snap plans to drop more weekly as it builds out proprietary tech to take on TikTok and Instagram.
A supergroup of 1,000 musicians just dropped a silent album called 'Is This What We Want?' to protest British copyright proposals. The planned rules would allow tech firms to scrape creators' work for AI training unless artists proactively opt out. The release features ambient room noise from empty studios, with 12 track titles spelling out a warning against legalizing data theft.
Snap Research just introduced Set and Sequence, a framework for personalizing text-to-video models using just one video clip. By splitting dynamic concepts into an appearance frame set and a motion sequence via two-step LoRA encoding, it lets DiT models capture both how a subject looks and moves, making character cloning far more flexible.
Snap just expanded its partnership with Google Cloud to power Snapchat's My AI chatbot with multimodal Gemini models. Users can now send photos and videos to get instant help like translating street signs or picking healthy menu items, which Google says has already driven a 2.5x jump in U.S. engagement.
Snap just unveiled its next-gen AR Spectacles, packing dual Qualcomm chips, hand tracking, and OpenAI multimodal integration into a standalone headset. The glasses feature auto-dimming lenses for outdoor use and run their own Snap OS without tethering to a phone. Why it matters: While consumer AR is still far off with a 45-minute battery life, Snap is beating Apple and Meta to outdoor camera-enabled AI by leasing the kit for $99 a month.
Snapchat just rolled out an AI selfie feature that quietly opts you into having your likeness used in personalized ads by default. While Snap claims these ads are only visible to you and third-party advertisers can't access your data, users still have to dig into settings to turn the feature off.
Snapchat just updated its My AI chatbot with Google Lens-like visual smarts, letting users snap photos to translate foreign menus, identify plants, or decode complex parking signs. Snap is clearly pushing to transform My AI from a quirky novelty into a daily utility that keeps users inside the app.
Snap just announced its own AI video generator at the Snap Partner Summit, powered by its in-house foundational video models. Select creators can now generate clips from text prompts on the web, with image prompts coming soon. All generated videos include watermarks, but Snap hasn't shared any actual output examples yet.
Snapchat just rolled out a batch of generative AI perks for its $3.99/month Plus subscribers, letting them generate and send images directly from text prompts. The update also adds an AI photo extend feature that fills in backgrounds, alongside co-op Dreams selfies with friends. It is another push to monetize generative tools inside casual chat.
Snapchat is working on a new generative AI feature called "Dreams" that places you and your friends into fantastical AI-generated scenarios. Discovered by app researcher Steve Moser, the tool asks for clear multi-angle selfies, supports shared portraits via "Dreams with Friends," and hints at paid "Dream Packs." Snap declined to comment.
Snap just rolled out its My AI chatbot to all Snapchatters globally, dropping the previous paid subscription requirement. Users can now pull the AI into group chats with an @ mention, design a custom Bitmoji for it, and ask for Snap Map and Lens recommendations. Snap also added age-aware safety controls to curb inappropriate responses.
Snap just launched My AI, an OpenAI-powered chatbot pinned straight to the top of Snapchat chat feeds for $3.99/month Snapchat+ subscribers. Marketed as a virtual friend rather than a productivity tool, Snap admitted upfront that the bot is prone to hallucinations and proactively apologized in advance for inevitable slip-ups.
