Artificial intelligence is powering some of the biggest advancements in smartphone photography – and mirrorless cameras could be next. A London and New York-based startup called Camera Intelligence has just announced a successful first round of funding that it plans to use to create a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera that uses AI for everything from voice control to in-camera edits.
On Tuesday, September 2, Camera Intelligence announced a $2 million (£ 1.49 million / AU$3.07 million) seed funding round that will help accelerate the startup's development of an AI-native camera. In an early demonstration, CEO Vishal Kumar demonstrated using voice control to ask the camera to edit the colors, switch from video to photo mode, and take a photo on a two-second timer.
Mirrorless cameras already have AI-based features like eye-detection autofocus, but Camera Intelligence is proposing an AI-native camera that has a Large Language Model or LLM built in. The camera is designed to be used with a smartphone and appears to be targeting primarily content creators and small businesses creating their own content.
Building an LLM AI into the camera would allow the mirrorless to respond to voice commands, as Kumar demonstrated in a video. But the other key aspect of the AI is that it allows for in-camera edits as the content is captured. During the demonstration, Kumar asked the camera to color edit for a rainy day, then a sunny day, then film simulations from different eras. He also asked the camera to switch from video to photo mode and used voice control to take a selfie with a two-minute timer.
Camera Intelligence says that the native AI camera would also simplify the process of creating content by allowing users to ask for what they want in words rather than complex camera settings, along with asking the camera for edits during the shoot.
Early photos of the camera show a boxy mirrorless camera with a grip and a smartphone attached to the back. The start-up says that the camera itself will be equipped with the latest AI processing chips, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon and a Google Coral Edge TPU chip.
But, those early photos look a little familiar. Kumar is the same CEO behind Alice Camera. One of the photos Camera Intelligence shared in its media kit looks identical to a photo of the Alice Camera, but with the camera's branding removed. Alice Camera is a mirrorless camera meant to work in conjunction with a smartphone and, while the camera includes computational photography, it doesn't include the voice control AI that Camera Intelligence is touting.
“As a team we have always had one singular mission: to make everyone a professional content creator,” Kumar wrote in a blog post. “This isn't just about making complicated tools easier to use; it's about fundamentally changing the creative workflow paradigm, enabling you to share your vision in high-quality with the least friction possible. We believe that with the right technology, the intricate, often frustrating, workflows that currently dominate the industry can be simplified, democratised, and made accessible to all.”
With few specifics available at the seed funding stage, a number of questions remain. The company hasn’t yet indicated specifications outside of a Micro Four Thirds format, which suggests both the sensor format and the compatible lenses.
The demonstration of the in-camera editing and voice control appears to use AI to change camera settings and apply basic photo edits. The video doesn’t show using generative AI to create something that’s not already there, which could be an important distinction. LLMs are a type of generative AI that focuses on generating text, not images.
The start-up did not give any indication as to when such an AI-integrated camera could arrive, but says an iOS app with LLM functionality is expected to launch this fall.
Camera Intelligence's first-round seed funding includes support from venture capital firms Betaworks, F4 Fund, Next Wave via Flybridge, 7pc Ventures, and Digital Catapult.
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