Firstly, the company announced it will let developers begin making AR apps using the camera in the Facebook app. It will use precise location and object recognition to detect an item then allow developers to create effects to overlay on the real world. It is part of bringing AR to the mainstream, something Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is hoping to do.
But this location and object recognition technology could also be key for advertising and solving the near-term ad load problem, analysts said.
“It is what is under the ‘fun stuff’ that is really key in terms of technology and opportunity for Facebook monetization. Namely the precise location technology which can map out images in 3-D with extreme precision and can be combined with Facebook’s object recognition technology which has the capability of processing images in real time, image tracking and recognition, location tracking,” Neil Campling, head of global technology, media and telecom research at Northern Trust Capital Markets, told CNBC by email on Wednesday.
“The same can provide very targeted artificial intelligence services, relevant ads and suggested content and increase engagement and value of the platform even further than what it does already.”
