Pixi Launches iOS App for 3 AI AR Characters in iMessage
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 18
Pixi Launches iOS App for 3 AI AR Characters in iMessage
2 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 18
Summary
Wednesday’s App Store launch lets iPhone users send AR characters through iMessage that appear in the recipient’s camera view and react in real time without requiring the recipient to install the app.
On-device AI powers those interactions, allowing characters to respond to people, objects, voices and facial cues while keeping visual and audio processing on the phone for privacy.
At launch, Pixi offers 3 characters—a robot, a cat and an animated envelope—plus simple games such as tic-tac-toe and whack-a-mole; the app works on iPhone 11 and newer.
Mark Drummond, a former Apple and DreamWorks Animation executive, said Pixi aims to turn messages into shared experiences and eventually open a marketplace for studios, brands and creators.
Future plans include user-generated characters, paid branded characters, and expansion beyond iMessage to Android, WhatsApp and Instagram.