How Reface and Prisma Founders Are Making Mobile AI Faster with Mirai
The world of technology is moving faster than ever before. In recent years, we have seen artificial intelligence (AI) move from a futuristic idea to something we use every single day. However, most of the AI we use today lives in big data centers far away. This is starting to change. Recently, a very exciting announcement caught the attention of the tech world. The creative minds behind two of the biggest AI apps in history, Reface and Prisma, have joined forces. Together, they are launching a new project called Mirai. This project focuses on one main goal: making AI run directly on your phone instead of in the cloud.
In this article, we will explore why this partnership is such a big deal. We will also look at the problems with current AI models and how Mirai plans to fix them. Most importantly, we will discuss how this shift to “on-device” AI will benefit regular users and app developers alike. Because these founders have already built apps used by millions, their new project carries a lot of weight.
The Dream Team: Who is Behind Mirai?
To understand why Mirai is important, we first need to look at the people building it. The team includes Dmitry Shvets, a co-founder of Reface, and Andrey Fedorov, a key figure from Prisma. Both of these men have a proven track record of creating viral hits. Prisma changed the way we look at photos by using AI to turn them into paintings. Similarly, Reface allowed millions of people to swap faces in videos with incredible realism.
Consequently, these founders know exactly how hard it is to run complex AI models on mobile devices. They have spent years dealing with slow processing speeds and high server costs. Because of this shared experience, they decided to build a solution that helps other developers avoid these same mistakes. By combining their knowledge, they aim to build a platform that makes mobile AI smooth and efficient for everyone.
The Problem with Cloud-Based AI
Currently, when you use a powerful AI tool, your phone sends your data to a server. This server does the heavy lifting and sends the result back to you. While this works, it has several major drawbacks. First of all, it requires a constant internet connection. If you are in a place with poor signal, the AI simply won’t work. Furthermore, sending data back and forth creates a delay, which is often called latency. This delay can make an app feel slow and frustrating to use.
Another big issue is privacy. Many people are uncomfortable sending their private photos or personal data to a remote server. Even if the company promises to protect your data, the risk of a leak is always there. In addition to these concerns, running giant servers is very expensive for developers. As more people use an app, the bills for cloud computing can become impossible to pay. Therefore, the industry is looking for a way to move the “brain” of the AI directly onto the user’s phone.
What is Mirai and How Does It Work?
Mirai is what experts call an “inference engine.” In simple terms, it is a piece of software that helps AI models run faster and more efficiently. Usually, AI models are very large and heavy. They require a lot of memory and power, which most phones cannot handle easily. Mirai solves this by optimizing these models. It shrinks them down and organizes the math behind them so that your phone’s processor can understand them quickly.
Specifically, Mirai focuses on on-device model inference. This means the AI makes decisions and generates results right there on your device. Whether you are using a top-tier iPhone or a mid-range Android, Mirai helps the hardware perform at its best. Instead of relying on a distant computer, the app uses the chips already inside your pocket. As a result, the AI becomes much more responsive and reliable.
The Benefits of On-Device AI
Moving AI to the device offers many clear advantages. For instance, the speed is much higher. When the processing happens locally, there is no need to wait for data to travel across the internet. This allows for real-time features, such as live video filters or instant voice translation. Additionally, your battery life might even improve. While it takes power to run AI locally, it also takes a lot of power to keep a radio antenna active for large data transfers.
- Better Privacy: Your data never leaves your phone, making it much safer.
- Offline Use: You can use AI features even when you are on a plane or in a remote area.
- Lower Costs: Developers do not have to pay for expensive cloud servers.
- Faster Response: The app feels snappy because there is zero “lag” from the internet.
Why This Matters for App Developers
For developers, the cost of running AI is often the biggest hurdle. Many great ideas never get off the ground because the cloud computing costs are too high. Mirai aims to change this by making on-device AI accessible to everyone. Instead of needing a team of expert scientists to shrink an AI model, developers can use Mirai’s tools to do it automatically.
Moreover, using on-device inference allows developers to scale their apps more easily. Since each user provides their own “computing power” via their phone, the developer doesn’t have to worry about their servers crashing during a viral moment. This was a lesson learned the hard way by the founders of Reface and Prisma. When their apps went viral, they had to spend millions of dollars on servers almost overnight. With Mirai, they hope to save the next generation of creators from that same financial stress.
Improving the User Experience
From a user’s perspective, the best technology is the kind you don’t notice. You just want the app to work instantly. When an app uses Mirai, the experience becomes seamless. Imagine a photo editing app that applies a complex style in less than a second, or a game where characters react to your voice without any delay. These are the kinds of experiences that on-device AI makes possible.
In addition, users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint. They want to know that their personal information is secure. By keeping the AI processing on the phone, Mirai helps build trust between the app and the user. Consequently, people are more likely to use and enjoy apps that respect their privacy and work quickly.
The Challenges of On-Device AI
Despite all the benefits, making AI work on a phone is not easy. Every phone has different hardware. Some have very fast chips, while others are quite old. One of the biggest challenges Mirai faces is making sure the AI works well across all these different devices. However, the team behind Mirai is well-equipped for this challenge. They have years of experience dealing with the “fragmentation” of the mobile market.
Another challenge is the size of the AI models. Some of the most popular AI tools today, like ChatGPT, are far too big to fit on a phone. Nevertheless, Mirai is focusing on specialized models that are designed for specific tasks. By focusing on quality over size, they can provide amazing results without taking up all the storage space on your device.
Looking Toward the Future
The launch of Mirai marks a new chapter in the AI revolution. We are moving away from a world where AI is a mysterious tool hidden in the cloud. Instead, we are entering a time where AI is a local, private, and incredibly fast part of our daily lives. The partnership between the Reface and Prisma co-founders is a signal to the entire industry that the future is on-device.
As more developers adopt Mirai, we will likely see a wave of new, creative apps. These apps will be smarter and more helpful than anything we have seen before. Whether it is in healthcare, education, or entertainment, the possibilities are endless. Most importantly, these tools will be available to everyone, regardless of their internet connection or their concerns about privacy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the collaboration between Dmitry Shvets and Andrey Fedorov is a massive step forward for the tech industry. By creating Mirai, they are solving the biggest problems facing mobile AI today. They are making it faster, cheaper, and safer for both developers and users. While the journey is just beginning, the expertise of this team gives us a lot of reason to be excited.
Ultimately, Mirai is about more than just better code. It is about empowering people to use AI in a way that is natural and secure. As our phones become even more powerful, the work being done by Mirai will ensure that we are getting the most out of the devices we carry in our pockets every day. The future of AI is not in a giant server room; it is right in the palm of your hand.
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