Perceptual Image Codec: What Matters in Practical Learned Image Compression

Researchers introduced PICO (Perceptual Image Codec), a learned image compression codec optimized for human perception that achieves 2.3-3× bitrate savings compared to traditional codecs like AV1 and VVC, while encoding and decoding 12MP images on an iPhone in under 400ms combined. The codec was developed through extensive testing of millions of model configurations and large-scale subjective user studies to balance perceptual quality with on-device runtime performance. PICO also outperforms competing learned codecs by 20-40% in bitrate savings while maintaining cross-platform robustness guarantees.