Snapchat is building on its “Sponsored Snaps”
offering by inviting brands to run ads within the social media platform's Chat tab via interactive conversational artificial intelligence (AI) agents.
According to Snap's announcement, direct
messaging and AI chatbots are already heavily utilized by the app's half a billion daily active users, with over 950 billion chats sent in the first quarter of 2026, and over half a billion messages
sent to Snap’s My AI since its initial rollout in 2023.
In attempting to bridge the gap between DMs and chatbots for its ad partners, Snapchat is launching AI Sponsored Snaps, which will
bring AI into the flow of everyday conversation on the platform.
Since
launching Sponsored Snaps in early 2024 as a way for advertisers to target users directly in their inboxes, the ad format has been successful -- driving 22% more conversions
with almost 20% lower cost per action, and 2x more conversions per full-screen ad view compared to other inventories, according to the company's internal findings.
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By integrating AI-powered
interactions into Sponsored Snaps, Snapchat is looking to pair the scale of its user base with automated agents that drive engagement and action around product discovery, per a recent statement from
Ajit Mohan, Snap's chief business officer.
Advertising partners can begin by bringing their own AI agents onto the Snap platform, allowing users to explore a brand, ask questions, and receive
personalized recommendations within their inbox.
To kick off the AI Sponsored Snaps alpha tests, Snapchat is partnering with consumer credit reporting company Experian, which wants users to
ask its chatbot-powered promotions about credit and money management.