Kodak Moments shows gains with AI-driven photobooks
After about a year in the marketplace, Kodak Moments executives say the AI-powered iOS app is increasing the printing of photobooks. The boost in conversions – in other, more books are completed once they are started – is a welcome trend, as the making of mobile photo books is still not a commonplace as industry watchers would like it to be.
The Kodak Moments app follows an increasing trend to add artificial intelligence (AI) to the image selection and product creation process. Competitors like Google Photos, Chatbooks and newcomer Go Books are all using AI to power their photobook creation process.
Kodak Moments developed its own AI technology based on decades of experience of consumer picture-taking, which augments the built-in capability of the Google Android and Apple iOS platforms.
“What makes a Kodak Moment isn’t necessarily the best quality,” says Scott Robinson, director of future products at Kodak Moments, a division of Kodak Alaris. “What makes us different is how we apply the algorithm that sits on top.”
Robinson adds, as consumers become overwhelmed by the number of photos on their mobile devices, so AI has become an invaluable tool to surfacing stories that become photobooks. He noted consumers get “lost in the convenience of the smartphone” when it comes to getting consumers to print some of the thousands of images on their devices. There is no urgency to print. Add to this the challenge of even getting a smartphone users’ attention, where photo printing apps are competing with social media apps, a web browser, email and a host of other functions. The smartphone is not a dedicated imaging device, which is a drawback when it comes to getting consumers to engage with printing.
“Photos have a half-life,” says Robinson, adding it’s vital for apps to make it easier for consumers to print. “In many cases, it comes down to how quickly can you get people to print.”
To combat this lethargy, the Kodak Moments app suggests books for the user, based on the groups of photos on their device.
“When [the AI] finds key photos, that can help trigger photo usage in other ways,” he adds. Right now, the app is used for photo books but the same intelligence could be applied to other products like a collage.
So far, Kodak Moments has seen improved volume with books completed. Robinson notes the Kodak Moments mobile experience creates a very simple book, with bare backgrounds, no themes and limited typography features.
[Editor’s Note: Photobook.ai, the provider of AI technology for Go Books, is a sponsor of The Dead Pixels Society.]