The most logical use of this is to replace mesh-transform tools in Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. In this case, you probably work with a transparent map anyway.
Why do gaussian splats benefit you for mesh transform applications? Name one, and think deeply about what is going on. The applications are generally non-physical transformations, so having a physical representation is worse, not better; and then, the weaknesses are almost always interacting with foreground versus background separation.
Another POV is, well generative AI solves the issue I am describing, which should question why these guys are so emphatic about their thing not interacting with the generative AI thing. If they are not interested in the best technical solutions, what do they bring to the table besides vibes, and how would they compete against even vibesier vibes?
Mesh transform is extensively used to create animations and warping perspectives. The most useful kind of warping is emulating perspective and rotation. Gaussian splats allow more intelligent warping in perspective without manually moving every vertex by eye.
Foreground-background separation is entirely uninteresting. Masking manually is relatively easy, and there are good semi-intelligent tools that make it painless. Sure, it's a major topic discussed within AI papers for some reason, but from an artist's perspective, it doesn't matter much. Masking out from the backing is generally step one in any image manipulation process, so why is that a weakness?
The most logical use of this is to replace mesh-transform tools in Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. In this case, you probably work with a transparent map anyway.