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Snap Inc CEO Evan Spiegel's Outlook: India's AR Potential is Vast

By Ritwik Ghosh,Kolkata India

Snapchap CEO Evan Spiegel

In a conversation at Snap Inc.’s inaugural APAC AR Day in India, Snap’s co-founder and CEO, Evan Spiegel, and Snap’s president for APAC, Ajit Mohan, discussed various aspects of augmented reality (AR) and its impact on marketing and innovation. Here are some edited excerpts from their chat:

On the Impact of AR Investments:

Spiegel highlighted the power of computers and the internet but noted that they have often taken people away from the real world. He expressed a vision of using augmented reality to bring the capabilities of the internet and computing into the real world, allowing people to enjoy their surroundings, connect with friends, and experience computing in a new way.

Spiegel mentioned that AR is expected to move beyond smartphones to devices like glasses, hinting at Snap’s progress with spectacles.

On AR in Marketing:

Spiegel emphasized the youth in India and the significant role they play in shaping the country’s future. He believes that augmented reality will be a crucial part of this future.

He noted that there’s a tremendous opportunity to provide AR experiences to help people express themselves or learn about the world, whether through partnerships with brands or by creating engaging content for fun.

On Creative Experiences:

Spiegel highlighted the role of AI in reducing the barriers to creativity, especially for developers and creators. He mentioned that generating 3D assets for AR can be time-consuming, and Snap has been investing in using AI to make it easier for creators to build immersive AR experiences.

The goal is to reduce the barriers to creating 3D assets and making it easier for creators to develop exciting and immersive AR lenses and experiences.

On AR and Innovation:

Spiegel mentioned that Snap’s approach to creativity has always been driven by solving problems for their community. Snapchat, for example, was created to offer an alternative to traditional social media platforms and allow people to express themselves more authentically.

He provided an example of how Snap developed the map feature to address a common problem: people constantly asking where their friends were. The map feature made it easier for friends to connect, reducing friction in their interactions.

Spiegel emphasized that Snap’s creativity and innovation have always been responsive to the needs and problems of their community.

Overall, the conversation highlighted Snap’s commitment to AR, its belief in the power of AR to enhance real-world experiences, and its focus on making AR more accessible and creative for its users and creators.

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