Pixi has released an iOS app that transforms text messages into interactive augmented reality (AR) experiences. The app allows users to send AI-powered AR characters through iMessage, where they come to life via the recipient’s iPhone camera. These characters can react to their surroundings, interact with people, and respond in real time. According to the company, all visual and audio processing remains on the device to preserve user privacy. Pixi founder Mark Drummond, who previously worked at DreamWorks Animation and Apple, explained that the app aims to bring a greater sense of presence and spontaneity to digital conversations. 'The consumer problem we’re solving is thinking of a friend when they’re not present,' he told TechCrunch. 'Sometimes the psychology is called pebbling or creative gifting. You’re sharing tokens of affection, basically cards, e-cards, and gifts. That’s your dad, or, in some cases, your granddad’s media. We can do better. We can do something that’s digitally native, and that uses everything we learned about AR on the iPhone.'
At launch, users will have access to a robot, a cat, and an animated envelope character that can react to their voice and 'attack' their friends in a playful way. There are also games like tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole. Pixi plans to expand beyond just a few characters, aiming to create a marketplace where studios, brands, and independent creators can share their unique characters for users to choose from. The company envisions this being used for events like movie premieres or product launches, allowing characters to generate excitement, such as when M&Ms release a new flavor. Drummond also mentioned introducing Alice in Wonderland as a character option, as she is an open intellectual property. He pointed out that 'our Alice character needs to react to objects that she sees on your desktop in an 'Alice-consistent' way,' to demonstrate to partners how their creations will interact with the technology.
Source: techcrunch
