Snapchat brings AI-powered conversational advertising to its app
Source: TechCrunch
Overview
Snapchat announced that it’s rolling out AI Sponsored Snaps, allowing users to interact directly with brands’ AI agents. Sponsored Snaps are ads placed in the app’s main Chat tab. Previously, users could not interact with these ads, but the new format lets them ask questions, get recommendations, and engage in conversational commerce.
Snapchat highlighted in a blog post that its community is already embracing AI: over half a billion users have messaged its AI chatbot since its 2023 launch — see the original announcement here.
Image Credit: Snapchat
“Conversation is becoming the most valuable real estate in advertising,” said Ajit Mohan, Chief Business Officer at Snap. “AI is accelerating that shift, turning chat into the place where people discover products, ask questions, and make decisions in real time. The real opportunity isn’t just putting ads into those environments, it’s designing formats that feel native to how people already talk.” — Snap blog post
Benefits for Brands
- Access to Snapchat’s nearly one billion monthly active users.
- Ability to bring their own AI agents onto the platform to drive engagement and purchases.
- Builds on the momentum of Sponsored Snaps, which already deliver 22 % higher conversions with ~20 % lower cost per action.
- Enables personalized, AI‑powered interactions right where users are already chatting.
Impact and Statistics
- 85 % of users engage regularly in the Chat feed.
- Users sent over 950 billion chats in Q1 2026 alone.
- 57 % of teen Snapchat users message others daily, with 4 in 10 doing so several times a day.