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Editorial illustration for DirecTV's AI Screensavers Will Soon Let You Shop Inside Your Family Photos

Editorial illustration for DirecTV's AI Screensavers Turn Family Photos into Shoppable TV Displays

DirecTV AI Turns Family Photos into Shoppable Screensavers

DirecTV's AI Screensavers Will Soon Let You Shop Inside Your Family Photos

Updated: 4 min read

Imagine a screensaver that turns your living room into a glossy catalog, where you, your dog, and your aunt are the models, and every pixel is for sale. DirecTV is about to make that real. The satellite giant is partnering with the AI firm Glance to weave your own family photos into interactive, shoppable dreamscapes.

That cozy sweater your AI doppelgänger wears? Buy it. The armchair floating beside your AI pet?

Add to cart. This isn't just a screensaver; it's a lean-in experience disguised as idle time. Glance's president calls it a “ChatGPT moment for TV,” but the company behind it, InMobi, has a track record of turning hardware into checkout lines.

Next year, your DirecTV Gemini screen will stop being a blank canvas, and start being a storefront.

DirecTV wants to use AI to put you, your family, and your pets inside a custom TV screensaver. If that’s not uncanny enough, you’ll find items you can shop for within that AI environment, whether it’s a piece of clothing similar to the one your AI likeness is wearing or a piece of furniture that pops up alongside it. DirecTV will soon bring AI ads to your screensaver You can shop for the items that look similar to the ones in the AI-generated screensaver, like clothing or furniture.

You can shop for the items that look similar to the ones in the AI-generated screensaver, like clothing or furniture. The satellite TV giant is partnering with the AI company Glance to roll out this experience to DirecTV Gemini devices starting next year. “We are making television a lean-in experience versus lean back,” Rajat Wanchoo, the group vice president of commercial partnerships at Glance, tells The Verge.

“We want to give users a chance to use the advancements that have happened in generative AI to create a ChatGPT moment for themselves, but on TV.” Glance is owned by InMobi, the same company that injected ecommerce bloatware into Motorola’s budget phones.

This isn’t a screensaver; it’s a storefront dressed in nostalgia. DirecTV is betting you’ll trade the comfort of your own memory for the convenience of a click. But the moment you start shopping inside a family photo, the line between personal and commercial dissolves.

The image stops being yours. It becomes inventory. That couch your AI twin is lounging on?

Yours for the taking, provided you forget it wasn't there a second ago. Glance calls this a “lean-in experience.” More accurately, it’s a transaction dressed as intimacy. And the price of admission isn’t just your attention.

It’s your privacy, your sentiment, your last unmonetized corner of the living room. You can lean in if you want. Just know what you’re leaning toward.

Common Questions Answered

How will DirecTV's AI screensavers transform personal photos into shopping experiences?

DirecTV's AI technology will generate interactive screensavers from family photos that include shoppable elements like clothing and furniture. Users can potentially purchase items similar to those appearing in their AI-generated family scenes, turning personal memories into potential commercial opportunities.

What types of items can users potentially shop for within DirecTV's AI screensaver technology?

Users can shop for items like clothing and furniture that are similar to those appearing in their AI-generated screensaver images. The technology aims to create a seamless connection between personal memories and targeted digital commerce.

How does DirecTV's AI screensaver feature blend personal imagery with commercial opportunities?

DirecTV's AI technology transforms traditional screensavers by generating interactive displays that include potential shopping options within personal photo environments. This innovative approach blurs the line between personal memories and digital advertising, creating a unique and potentially immersive shopping experience.

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