Meitu to use AI and AR to create 'Beauty Ecosystem'

Meitu Inc aims to create a “Beauty Ecosystem” incorporating latest technologies like AI and AR, the Hong Kong-listed firm said today in Shanghai.

The latest technologies include an application to test skin quality and recommends tips on make-up, artificial intelligence  to forecast how people will look like in 30 years, and augmented reality that allows users to interact with stars and brands.

Users, especially young people, process and transfer 150 to 200 million pictures every day through Meitu’s products and this gives the company unique advantages to develop AI algorithms and marketing packages for brands.

Meitu has established a fund of 300 million yuan (US$47.6 million) to support AI and AR content to improve its ecosystem. Through technologies and apps, Meitu connects its business to e-commerce, social and short-term video business for its 455 million active users, Bryan Cheng, Meitu’s chief operating officer, said in Shanghai today.

The trend toward adopting AR is also echoed by Oppo which predicts that 80 million Oppo phones will feature AR by the end of 2018, up from 30 million by the first half of this year. Huawei, the top smartphone brand in China, has developed AI  to improve mobile photography on its phones.

Zhu Shenshen / SHINE