Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has unveiled Dazzle, a personal AI assistant that builds its understanding of a user entirely from their camera roll rather than from email, calendars or shopping histories.
Dazzle raised an $8 million seed round last December. Users can interact with it through its app or via text, and it splits its functionality into two areas: scanning recent photos for immediate tasks, such as populating a calendar from an event flyer, and mining the photo library for personalised suggestions, from holiday ideas to birthday gifts.
Mayer said photos are an underappreciated source of information. "You'll be surprised what we can learn about you and how good a job we can do with your photos," she said. She added that the assistant can understand whether a user likes to ski, where their most recent trip was and what their children are into.
In a demo, the assistant suggested Mediterranean destinations, including Sicily, and activities such as a local pottery studio and a bioluminescent kayak tour in Tomales Bay. It also showed blind spots, failing to recall that the reviewer's daughter already knew how to roller skate.
Mayer said that given security concerns with products like Instinct and Muse, users may feel more comfortable handing over their photo libraries to an AI instead of granting access to sensitive data such as emails and messages. She emphasised that Dazzle prioritises privacy and discards any personal information the AI flags as sensitive.