Snapchat Joins the Chatting Crowd

This means more interesting experimentation,  How should it be focused? 

Snapchat unveils AI chatbot powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT

BY KYT DOTSON  in SiliconAngle

Snap Inc. revealed today that the company plans to jump on the artificial intelligence bandwagon by adding a chatbot powered by OpenAI LLC’s ChatGPT named “My AI” to its multimedia instant messaging app Snapchat.

The company unveiled details about the new service in an announcement stating that users will be able to talk to the AI for recommendations about birthday gift ideas, event plans, dinner recipes and more.

However, it also warned that people shouldn’t use it for anything other than simple questions and that the AI can “hallucinate” or be tricked into saying strange things. That’s an acknowledgment that AI chatbots based on ChatGPT can behave strangely, as revealed by Microsoft Corp.’s new Bing AI-powered chatbot, which can go completely off the rails in conversations.

Even with these issues, Snap Chief Executive Evan Spiegel feels hopeful about the future of AI and told The Verge that he felt that adding it to the instant messaging app would be the next step in human and AI interactions.

“The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day,” he said. “And this is something we’re well-positioned to do as a messaging service.”

Once it’s launched, Snapchat users will find My AI in the app under its own tab, and it will look a lot like another user. Users can talk to it like another human being and converse with it by sending questions back and forth.  ... ' 

Smart Glasses of the Future

Considerably less intrusive smart glasses by Snap.     Will this be the future?   I think enough interesting social functionality will draw people to smart glasses.  Replacing bulky phones will also help.

This is the computer you’ll wear on your face in 10 years? in Fastcompany.

Snap’s new Spectacles 3 camera glasses are an important step toward the augmented reality glasses that could one day replace the smartphone as our go-to computing device.  ... "

Lenses for Dog Recognition

Have also been seeing this for livestock applications like recognizing horses and pigs.  Imagine other applications.

Object recognition taken beyond humans.  Dogs, and some indication cats are next.

Snapchat lenses now officially work on dogs
Because pets can't take selfies on their own. ....

By AJ Dellinger, @ajdell

Tracking Ad Effects Offline

Snap Seeking offline ad success measures:   In Adage: 

" ... Snap Inc. has acquired Placed, a startup that measures the offline success of digital advertising campaigns, for about $125 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

Including stock payouts, the full value of the deal could exceed $200 million, said two other people with knowledge of the deal, who asked not to be named because the terms aren't being disclosed. Snap confirmed the acquisition on Monday, while declining to comment on the price.

The acquisition will help Snap expand its efforts to show that ads on its photo and video-sharing app Snapchat are driving users to stores. Placed, based in Seattle, will continue to operate independently, with David Shim, the startup's chief executive officer, reporting to Snap's chief strategy officer, Imran Khan. .... " 

Snap Getting Better Store Sale Measures

Snap acquires Placed to better measure in-app ads to in-store sales
Placed is able to attribute brand’s digital, TV and out-of-home campaigns to store visits and in-store sales.
Tim Peterson on June 5, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, has acquired location analytics firm Placed, a company spokesperson said on Monday, confirming a GeekWire report published earlier in the day.

The spokesperson declined to say how much Snap paid for Placed — Bloomberg reported the price to be $125 million — but it’s easy to see how buying Placed — which measures store visits and offline revenue generated by digital, TV and out-of-home ads — could pay off for Snap.

Advertisers like Procter & Gamble and Unilever are pressuring digital ad sellers like Google, Facebook and Snapchat to prove that the money brands spend on ads results in people spending money on the brands’ products. As a result, Google, Facebook and Snapchat have stepped up their measurement capabilities, especially when it comes to measuring if a digital ad led to a real-world purchase. .... " 

Stickers vs SnapChat

Can Apple’s new iMessage ad convince you that stickers are as cool as Snapchat?   There is a heavy history of the use of stickers, especially in Japan.   Difficult prediction to make.  Heavily advertised now in the US college basketball season.  by Chaim Gartenberg @cgartenberg

Snapchat Spectacles

Still skeptical that the typical person will use these.  I can remember testing Glass at a coffee shop and felt we were being closely watched.    But perhaps these are whimsical enough to get by with their use. People raise their smart phones all the time now.   May also give another opportunity for image and video analysis to classifier the poster?   More than a toy?  In Adage:

Why Snapchat's Spectacles Can Succeed Where Google Glass Failed  By Shelly Palmer
Glassholes, rejoice! Your hopes and dreams are about to be fulfilled by a $129 pair of video-recording Spectacles that its creator calls a "toy." But while they are going to be super-fun to play with, Snap Inc.'s Spectacles are a serious brand extension for the company that created ephemeral visual conversation. ... "

Snapchat and Showrooming

Did a long hands-on look in the early days of showrooming.  See the tag below.  Now some approaches in Adage where stores could use the ephemeral message service Snapchat to control it. I have my doubts. " ... How Snapchat Can Help Retailers Kill 'Showrooming' ... Five Ways Brands Can Use Snapchat to Take Back Control of the Retail Experience ... " 

Supermarkets and Social Media

In SupermarketNews:

" ... Supermarkets should expand their online presence and include more recipes and meal ideas to connect with consumers beyond coupons and promotional offerings, writes Michael Sansolo, research director for the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council of North America. Retailers can use social media channels including Pinterest, Snapchat and Instagram to fulfill customer demand for greater brand interaction through cooking tips, inspiration for special events, and exploration of dietary and food trends, he writes. ... "