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The Caira camera, the rebrand of the camera formerly known as Alice, has blown past its Kickstarter funding goal in its first day. For those unfamiliar with either Alice or Caira, the idea behind the camera system is that it uses a smartphone for control and to view what is being captured, and was originally pitched around five years ago. It is developed by Camera Intelligence, the company formerly known as Alice Camera, and earlier this year the brand pivoted to an AI-based business model. While the hardware remains generally the same between Alice and Caira, the idea behind what the system can do has likewise changed with the integration of AI. “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,” Camera Intelligence’s CEO, Vishal Kumar, said two months ago. Caira wants to combine generative AI with photography at the point of capture. “With the integration of Google’s ‘Nano Banana’ model, Caira ushers in a new era of on-camera ‘generative editing,’ moving beyond simple capture to offer in-the-moment creation and editing, for spectacular real-time adjustments that were previously only possible through complex post-production software and workflows on laptops,” Camera Intelligence explained. While PetaPixel readers expressed overwhelmingly negative feedback on this concept, there are those who appear interested in what Camera Intelligence is offering because the company’s Kickstarter for the project blew past its funding goal in under 24 hours. It sits at $139,029 via 185 backers at the time of publication. “Camera Intelligence has partnered with a trusted manufacturer with proven experience in camera production — together, they have already produced 50 pre-production Caira units as well as the first batch of 500 electronic boards for Caira. Mass manufacturing and final assembly of cameras will begin once the Kickstarter ends. Shipping for Kickstarter backers will be ready for delivery from mid-January to the end of February 2026, depending on the destination country,” Camera Intelligence says. As part of the Kickstarter launch, Caira says that it surveyed 200 existing customers and worked with a 50-person test group to refine three novel flagship AI features that it says “will help users create high-quality content.” Firstly, Caira integrates voice control powered by a built-in Large Language Model (LLM) that allows users to operate the camera hands-free and control settings or functions by speaking to the camera. Secondly, Caira will integrate a set of six pre-made color looks called Smart Styles that are “trained using deep neural networks” and that “move beyond basic filters.” Finally, for “Pro Subscribers,” the Caira offers Generative Editing on board, making it the only mirrorless camera “which allows users to perform advanced, real-time image editing using natural language prompts” powered by Google’s AI Nano Banana model. “With Caira, we are not just launching a new camera on Kickstarter; we are introducing an intelligent creative partner,” Kumar says. “We’ve spoken to hundreds of solo creators, travelers, and marketers who have upgraded from their smartphone to their first mirrorless camera. They’re overwhelmed and frustrated by complex camera buttons and the tedious post-processing editing workflows that come with high-quality content creation. These people want more than just great image quality – they need flexibility, connectivity, quick and fun editing features that match the pace of their imagination. Caira’s integrated AI engine flattens the learning curve and actively assists them from capture to share. Our mission is to help anyone create content that looks and feels high-quality.” Caira will sell for $995 when it hits retail shelves. The aforementioned Caira Pro subscription, which allows access to Nano Banana, will cost $7 per month and also includes a “Feedback Assistant” which is powered by Google Gemini. Disclaimer: Make sure you do your own research into any crowdfunding project you’re considering backing. While we aim to only share legitimate and trustworthy campaigns, there’s always a real chance that you can lose your money when backing any crowdfunded project. PetaPixel does not participate in any crowdfunding affiliate programs. To hold projects accountable, all crowdfunding campaigns on which PetaPixel reports are financially backed with the lowest tier option in order to give the publication visibility into all backer-only communications. If a campaign owner acts in a manner inconsistent with its promises, PetaPixel will share that information publicly.
