Camera Intelligence, Formerly Alice Camera, Pivots to AI

Camera Intelligence, which most will know by its former name, Alice Camera, is slightly adjusting its business model. Rather than focusing on Micro Four Thirds or the fact that control of its camera system is handled through an attached smartphone, Camera Intelligence is pivoting to AI.

It’s not an unfamiliar story. A large number of businesses have quickly added AI-powered features to their portfolios, whether or not customers were asking for it, and in the case of Camera Intelligence, it was no doubt a large part of why Camera Intelligence was able to close another $2 million seed funding round this week.

“The round, which included investment from venture capital firms Betaworks, F4 Fund, Next Wave via Flybridge, 7pc ventures, and Digital Catapult, will accelerate the development of its integrated AI-native camera and content editing solutions,” Camera Intelligence writes in a press release.

The basic premise of Camera Intelligence isn’t far removed from what Alice Camera brought to the table five years ago. The original pitch was a combination of the computational capabilities of a smartphone with a larger Micro Four Thirds sensor. After a year of pulling funding, it took three years of development, but Alice Camera delivered to its backers in 2024. By then, both the camera and smartphone landscape had changed significantly, and CEO Vishal Kumar’s goals for Alice Camera had evolved.

Now, Kumar is building on top of what Alice Camera originally offered by integrating large language-driven AI models into the next-generation device.

“Producing engaging, high-quality content is a necessity for solo creators and small businesses — but they are already stretched thin and juggling multiple business demands. Content creation tools are fragmented, and users producing social media content for the first time struggle with steep learning curves for both mirrorless camera operation and editing software,” Kumar says.

The solution, he argues, is integrating AI with an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera for the first time.

“In the near future, this will allow users to control camera functions through voice commands, eliminating the need to navigate complex menus. The LLM is also able to orchestrate local content editing tasks like color grading and style selection,” Camera Intelligence says. Below is an example of how the company believes that would work.

While Kumar is working on a new version of the camera hardware, the addition of LLM-based software is coming first to existing Alice Camera users via an iOS update planned for Fall 2025. No pricing for the addition has been shared.

Image credits: Camera Intelligence