Glance to Develop GenAI-Powered Experiences on Smartphone Lock Screens

Consumer technology company Glance said Wednesday (Feb. 26) that it will use Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) models to develop generative AI-powered experiences on smartphone lock screens and ambient TV screens.

Glance currently delivers AI-powered lock screen experiences to more than 450 million Android-based smartphones and 300 million active users across India, Indonesia, Japan, the United States and other countries, the company said in a press release.

By leveraging Google’s AI models, the company is building the next generation of Glance, which will bring both content and shopping to the user’s lock screen, according to the release.

For example, the company plans to use Google Cloud’s Gemini intelligence capabilities and Imagen’s image generation capabilities via Vertex AI to enable users to upload a selfie, have it analyzed to infer their interests and preferences, and then generate personalized images that include relevant contexts and products for their lock screen wallpapers, per the release.

While visualizing themselves with various products, users can also make purchase decisions from their lock screens, the release said.

“Our combined knowledge, AI capabilities and expertise uniquely position Glance to deliver the next level of AI-driven experiences for smartphone users, supported by viable business models such as commerce and advertising,” Naveen Tewari, founder and CEO of InMobi and Glance, said in the release.

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said in the release that mobile phones are a key touchpoint for consumers using generative AI technologies.

“Glance can now harness Google Cloud’s cutting-edge GenAI technologies to develop groundbreaking applications across commerce, content and more that will unlock new possibilities for customers,” Kurian said.

It was reported in July that Glance was looking to raise up to $250 million in a funding round that would be led by Google, which is an existing investor.

The round would let Glance expand its reach, and enable Google to increase its footprint in India, the most populous nation on the planet, Bloomberg reported July 18.

Glance acquired eCommerce reseller Shop101 in 2021 to advance live social selling in India. The company said at the time that the collaboration would connect its content with Shop101’s commerce technology and supply chain infrastructure.