by By Peyton Hedges
On April 19, 2023, Snapchat introduced its “My AI” chatbot to all of its 750 million monthly users. The new feature is powered by Open AI’s newest GPT-3.5 technology and functions as a mobile chat companion. According to Snap, the purpose of My AI is to connect users more deeply to the things they care about. My AI quickly raised privacy and safety concerns after its global launch, and it brings to mind the role generative AI will have in media use going forward.
Snapchat describes My AI as an, “experimental, friendly, chatbot,” that can answer questions, offer advice and make suggestions based on messages sent through the app’s “Chat” feature. It will get to know users better and give more relevant responses the more they interact with it, “just like real friends.”
Users can name their bot, customize its Bitmoji avatar and add it to group chats. The future of My AI will eventually allow people to send visual messages and receive generated image responses.
The bot is pinned to the chat tab above conversations with friends and can only be removed by Snapchat Plus subscribers for $3.99 a month. All messages with My AI are saved until users delete them. Snap asks that users not use My AI to generate content that would violate its Community Guidelines and warns that responses may be biased, false or misleading.
The release of My AI hasn’t been entirely well-received, and many users are taking to Twitter and TikTok to voice their criticisms. Some people consider My AI an unnecessary addition to the app, some have privacy concerns, and others are simply creeped out by its looming presence.
Parents in particular are worried about the age-appropriateness of interactions between their teens and My AI. Some test conversations reveal the bot instructing kids on problematic topics like how to lie to their parents, cover up the smell of alcohol, and even offering sex tips.
Snapchat asserts that it takes the privacy and safety of users very seriously and consistently updates My AI based on community feedback. The company is focused on improving its responses to inappropriate user messages for all ages and uses detection tools to monitor for “nonconforming” language. It added a new age signal based on the user’s birthdate, so My AI will regularly consider their age in conversation. Parents also have the ability now to see how frequently their teens interact with My AI using Family Center.
The addition of My AI is an example of how generative AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in digital media practices. The Washington Post, Coca-Cola, Airbnb and Burger King are some businesses that have already turned to generative AI to strengthen their presence on social media, and Snapchat is just one of the first clients using OpenAI’s developer platform, Foundry.
Generative AI is able to quickly create a lot of content, making it a valuable tool for brands and businesses that regularly use social media. Its algorithms are designed to analyze data and trends, so it understands what kinds of content people find most engaging. Chatbots can be used for personalized customer support and to encourage meaningful interaction with brands.
Quality, bias and public mistrust are key challenges associated with generative AI content and chatbots. Backlash against Snap’s My AI provides a glimpse of what businesses may encounter if they embrace similar technologies, and transparency with target audiences should be emphasized as generative AI continues to emerge in digital media spaces.
The headline of this blog really grabbed my attention because I know that Snapchat’s new AI has been very controversial lately. For me personally, I don’t use my AI. I used it when it popped up on my app and at first it was entertaining, but now I just don’t see the need to use it. I use other AI sources more regularly like Chat GPT. I see the concern for parents of teens though. I enjoyed reading this!
In response to the question posed in your headline, my thought on the Snapchat AI feature is that it is creepy. My immediate thought upon seeing the chat option among my friends is that, not only could the technology be faulty or unsafe in terms of data, but how it could have a deleterious effect on users’ mental health. The majority of Snapchat users are very young, predominantly Gen-Z. Snapchat just added a feature to the AI bot where you can change the way it looks and give it a personal name. The idea that this AI can be molded into a user’s “friend” is frightening to me. Emotionally, a user could become dependent on the AI for companionship. I think of this because it goes hand-in-hand with another common position against AI, which is that users will become reliant on it in schools or the workplace. All-in-all, I think this feature is dangerous, and Snapchat’s willingness to adopt it and make it so accessible to young people is concerning to me.
I have to agree with Sammy on this one, I was really intrigued by the title. It’s something that I’ve been putting off exploring a little bit. I think it’s because I use Snapchat a lot, and I feel that having it pinned to the top of my chats always looking at makes me a little anxious. There is something discomforting about about AI on Snapchat compared to Chat GPT, even though they’re essentially the same generative programming. Chat GPT, however, is a website that you can close when you want to use it and not. Snapchat is an app that I use without AI in mind and I feel pressure not to let my guard down. In addition, I feel that Chat GPT has grown into more a tool for me, rather than My AI being on a platform that I use to interact and communicate casually with friends, not AI. It’s a creepy thought. Also, the idea that My AI knows what I’m saying to my friends is unsettling. If you type in “AI” while in a chat with another person, the My AI’s Bitmoji will pop up.
I have been waiting for this one. I don’t like how you have to pay to remove the AI bot and how it knows your location when it says it doesn’t. I think it was fun for the first few days but now I just find it annoying. I think platforms should know that not everyone wants AI in their face at all times; really hope that Snapchat removes the AI bot eventually.
This topic especially interests me as AI is growing rapidly and it can be a bit overwhelming. Personally, I was skeptical of this addition to Snapchat and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I didn’t even think about how problematic it could be amongst a younger demographic and you touched on some great points. I’m glad to hear that they’ve set restrictions depending on when your birthday is.
This topic is something I have been thinking a lot about recently. I find the quick response time to be one of the creepiest parts about snapchats AI. I ask it something, and it responds quicker than I could even come up with a reply. I could definitely see how this would make parents nervous. With limited restrictions, this could be a dangerous tool for younger audiences.
When Snapchat released My AI and I saw my own personal AI on the top of the chat screen, I was definitely uncomfortable and creeped out by the whole scenario. Unlike other generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, the Snapchat AI has a visual element to it. This AI is unique because you’re able to customize its name and appearance, which makes you want to associate the AI with being an acquaintance rather than a robot–which is very unnerving. Another thing I found different about the Snapchat AI is that it responds to the pictures you send it. Just like any other Snapchat friend, you’re able to send it snaps and it’ll respond by talking about things it saw in the picture. The concept of the AI analyzing my photo and understanding what it sees makes me super uncomfortable. Overall, the AI can be helpful if you need it, but I still find it super creepy.
Thank you for this take on the topic. As someone who doesn’t really use snapchat, I wasn’t aware of the conversation surrounding this new feature. Its so fascinating to be able to observe these beginning stages of AI and how people are reacting to it. It will be interesting to see how people interact with this feature and how AI will be adapted into other social media sites. Despite the push back from critics, I cant help but think that in a few years AI will become another normalized technology in our lives.
I enjoyed reading this and I think you explained the Snap situation very thoroughly and in a balanced way. I think there is a way to remove the AI from the top of your chats, but it’s definitely a weird move on Snapchat’s part to make it so difficult. With all the new AIs about to come out, it will be interesting to see how other companies learn from Snapchat’s controversial launch.