Snapchat brings AI-powered conversational advertising to its app | TechCrunch

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. Snapchat announced on Tuesday that it’s rolling out “AI Sponsored Snaps,” which will allow users to interact directly with brands’ AI agents. Sponsored Snaps are the ads placed directly into the app’s main Chat tab. Until now, users couldn’t interact with these ads, but with the launch of AI Sponsored Ads, they’ll be able to do things like ask questions and get recommendations. Of course, not everyone will be on board with AI-sponsored ads, as they introduce AI into yet another part of the Snapchat experience. Plus, not everyone is eager for more advanced advertising. However, Snapchat said in the blog post that its “community isn’t just open to AI in conversation, they’re already embracing it,” given that over half a billion users have messaged its AI chatbot since it launched in 2023. “Conversation is becoming the most valuable real estate in advertising,” said Ajit Mohan, chief business officer at Snap, in the blog post. “AI is accelerating that shift, turning chat into the pla