Mail Ru : ICQ Is the First Messenger to Seamlessly Integrate Neural Networks

25.08.2016

ICQ Is the First Messenger to Seamlessly Integrate Neural Networks

The new version of ICQ for Android now allows processing photos using neural networks: thanks to this update, a user can now turn a photo into a painting in just one tap.

After taking a photo, a user can swipe to select one of 20 options for real-time processing. What's more, the built-in photo editor allows drawing over the processed photo and adding stickers. The edited image can then be shared to ICQ Stories or any chat. ICQ lets users process images in full screen mode.

'We're basically offering our users a Masterpiece button, which saves them from having to retake a photo several times. Instead, they can simply add a filter to turn the photo into an awesome picture worth sharing with friends or adding to Stories,' said Igor Yermakov, Head of Instant Messaging, Mail.Ru Group.

For image processing, ICQ uses the API of the Vinci app (its developers are working on a simple and fast tool for automatic photo enhancement). The Vinci processing mechanism is based on generator networks. This approach is described in the article titled Texture Networks: Feed-Forward Synthesis of Textures and Stylized Images.

The new version of ICQ for Android is already available on Google Play.

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