Snapchat’s AI Evolution: $400 Million Perplexity Partnership and the Rise of AI Clips
Snapchat is experiencing significant growth, both in user engagement and its integration of artificial intelligence (AI) features. The platform recently announced impressive user metrics and launched new AI-powered tools, signaling a strategic shift towards becoming an AI-driven platform.
Snapchat User Engagement Soars to Nearly 2 Trillion Snaps in 2025
In 2025, Snapchat users generated almost 2 trillion snaps, averaging approximately 5.5 billion pieces of content daily and over 63,000 snaps per second.1 With 474 million daily active users, this equates to more than 11 pieces of content sent per user each day.1 This substantial increase from over 1,000 billion selfies shared in 2024 demonstrates continued growth and high engagement on the platform.2 These metrics highlight Snapchat’s appeal to advertisers and investors.
Introducing AI Clips: Transforming Photos into Videos with Lens Studio
Snapchat has introduced AI Clips, a new feature within Lens Studio, its augmented reality and AI effects development tool.3 AI Clips generates five-second videos from single photos.3 Snap maintains a controlled approach, allowing creators to define the content type even as users apply effects to their images, avoiding unrestricted prompts.3 This feature aims to develop AI-powered content creation more accessible to developers with varying technical expertise.
Monetization for Creators Through Lens+ and Lens+ Payouts
AI Clips is integrated with Lens+, a subscription service costing around €8.50 per month.3 This functionality connects directly with Lens+ Payouts, Snap’s monetization system that enables creators to earn revenue from their published content.3 Snap offers a comprehensive package: AI-powered content creation, platform distribution, and monetization opportunities, positioning itself as a hub for creators exploring AI.
Snap’s $400 Million Partnership with Perplexity AI
In November 2025, Snap Inc. Announced a $400 million partnership with Perplexity AI, a significant move to diversify beyond digital advertising and reposition Snapchat as an AI-powered platform.2 Perplexity AI will pay Snap $400 million over a year through a combination of cash and equity.2 In return, Snap will integrate Perplexity’s AI search engine into Snapchat by early 2026, allowing users to question questions and receive real-time answers from verified sources directly within the app’s chat interface.2 This integration will provide Perplexity access to Snapchat’s nearly 1 billion monthly active users, with 75% aged between 13 and 34.1, 2
Teens and AI Chatbots: A Growing Trend
The integration of AI features aligns with a broader trend of teen engagement with AI chatbots. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in September and October 2025 found that roughly 64% of U.S. Teens use chatbots, with about 30% using them daily.4
1 Snap and Perplexity Partner to Bring Conversational AI Search to Snapchat
2 Snapchat’s $400 Million Deal With Perplexity AI
3 Snapchat launches AI Clips: a photo becomes a video in 5 seconds
4 Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025