Snap

Snap to Enhance Image Protection with Watermarks Generated by AI-Powered Technology

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Social media company Snap said Tuesday that it plans to add watermarks to AI-generated images on its platform. Other tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, and Google have also taken steps to label or identify images created with AI-powered tools. Currently, Snap allows users to create or edit AI-generated images with Snap AI for paid users and a selfie-focused feature called Dreams. The company also added context cards with AI-generated images from tools like Dream selfies to better inform the user. In February, Snap partnered with HackerOne to stress its AI image-generation tools by adapting a bug bounty program.

Snapchat Disables Controversial ‘Solar System’ Function in Response to Negative Publicity

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Less than a week after The Wall St. Journal reported on how a Snapchat feature dubbed “solar system” was adding to teens’ anxiety, the company has responded by adjusting how the feature works. The ranking system for paid subscribers today shows you how close you are to your Snapchat friends by displaying your position in their solar system. However, instead of removing the feature, as it did with the dangerous and controversial speed filter, which it was sued over for “negligent design,” Snap is simply turning the Solar System feature off by default. A more relevant stat would be how many Snapchat+ users have used Solar System or viewed the feature. The Solar System feature was only one of Snapchat’s friend ranking systems.

“Ex-Snap AI Executive Debuts Higgsfield in Challenge Against OpenAI’s Sora Video Generator”

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OpenAI captivated the tech world a few months back with a generative AI model, Sora, that turns scene descriptions into original videos — no cameras or film crews required. So he launched Higgsfield AI, an AI-powered video creation and editing platform designed for more tailored, personalized applications. In fact, Mashrabov sees social media — and social media marketing — as Higgsfield’s principle money-making niche. So we believe video generative AI solutions will be a core solution in helping them to achieve it.”Of course, Higgsfield isn’t immune from the broader challenges facing generative AI startups. It’s well-established that generative AI models like the kind powering Diffuse can “regurgitate” training data.

“Discover Shader: A Revolutionary AR Creator with AI-powered Custom Effects, by Ex-Snap Design Leader”

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The startup built its platform on top of the open source Stable Diffusion model, letting users enter text-based prompts to generate their creations. The company was founded by Darya Sesitskaya, a former Snap design lead responsible for designing Snapchat’s AR camera, Lens Studio, Lens Cloud, and more. She also worked at Wanna (formerly Wannaby), an AR technology company known for its virtual try-ons for sneakers, clothing, and watches. Since launching its beta version, Shader has garnered approximately 3,000 downloads. In the near future, we also plan to implement the ability to create voice-to-AR effects and 3D background replacements,” says Sesitskaya.

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against Snap for Fentanyl Deaths to Move Forward

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A lawsuit blaming Snapchat for a series of drug overdoses among young people can proceed, a Los Angeles judge ruled this week. A group of family members related to children and teens who overdosed on fentanyl sued Snapchat maker Snap last year, accusing the social media company of facilitating illicit drug deals involving fentanyl, a synthetic opioid many times deadlier than heroin. In the ruling on Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff rejected Snap’s effort to get the case dismissed. Riff did dismiss four counts against Snap but overruled the company’s efforts to throw out more than 10 others, including negligence and wrongful death. The depth of disagreement is revealed by the parties’ inability jointly to label Snap’s social media presence and activities: “service,” “app,” “product”, “tool,” “interactive course of conduct,” “platform,” “website,” “software” or something else.

Earnings Report “Top Priority: Snap’s Q4 Earnings Report Must Deliver for X”

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What X needs most now is for Snap to post a solid Q4Not a day goes by without some drama involving Twitter X. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, X’s ad revenue is expected to fall to $2.5 billion in 2023, and X is disputing the news, calling it incomplete. Still, the report’s numbers line up neatly with what X’s owner said earlier this summer. We’ll also revisit our previous look at Snap, another social network that is close-ish to X in scale and worth, to compare the two companies. The question today is whether or not X’s revenues and valuation square up, so let’s dive in!