Is Snapchat’s My AI a real person? Some users are convinced the chatbot on the platform acts like a human.
AI chatbots are popping up everywhere. The latest company to announce that they will be integrating a chatbot into their platform is Snapchat, which has announced a new feature called My AI. The feature is powered by the latest version of ChatGPT, and many regular Snapchat users want to better understand how to use it.
The Snapchat AI has some rather human-like traits according to many users. So, is the AI a real person who interacts with you on the platform? Let’s take a look behind the curtain of the AI on Snapchat to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Read on for the truth of whether the AI is powered by a person or technology, as well as what users have to say about the AI who recently joined Snapchat.
What is Snapchat’s My AI feature?
Snapchat’s My AI feature is a chatbot just like the one that’s become popular on ChatGPT. Users will be able to interact with the feature and ask it questions about everything from Snapchat to the weather in Tuscan. My AI will be pinned to the app’s chat tab and will coexist with the conversations that a user might be having with friends or family in the app.
Initially, the feature will only be available to those who pay $3.99 a month for Snapchat Plus, but Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said that the company’s goal is to eventually make the feature accessible to everyone who uses the service regularly.
When the feature launches, it will essentially behave exactly like ChatGPT, only embedded in Snapchat. The only difference will be that this version of the chatbot will be even more restricted in what it can say.
Snapchat employees have trained their version to adhere to Snapchat’s trust and safety guidelines, which means that it will not give answers that include violence, swearing, sexually explicit content, or opinions about potentially controversial topics like politics. The chatbot is also not allowed to write essays on various topics that may resemble homework prompts. Snapchat will likely continue fine-tuning the app as more users start using it.
Snapchat is planning to use My AI more like another friend.
Whereas Microsoft and Google are attempting to use the generative power of AI chatbots to improve their search engines, Snapchat seems to have designed its version to work more like another friend that users can interact with. My AI even has its own user page complete with a bitmoji. My AI is designed to be someone to chat with, not a resource that delivers you endless knowledge.
Is the Snapchat AI a real person?
The short answer to the question is that the Snapchat AI is powered by ChatGPT, and is not a real person pecking away on their app remotely to wig you out.
That said, users are a little freaked by how human — but not in a good way for the most part — the AI seems, with The Washington Post reporting that the AI acted like an inappropriate adult attempting to corrupt a minor online, sharing eyebrow-raising tips on topics like how to mask the smell of alcohol on the breath.
Meanwhile, Snapchat users have also accused the AI of ugly behaviors such as gaslighting and lying, leading many to believe that the technology can’t possibly be, well, technology.
Snapchat users think the AI on the platform sure acts like a real person — although, maybe one they don’t like.
To be fair, although many users aren’t impressed with the personality of their AI, others are finding the technology rather impressive. Still, even those folks can’t help but admit how “real” the not-real account acts.
One Twitter user shared a chat with the AI and called out the “robot,” er, “virtual friend” for having “a nasty attitude.”
Given the AI’s questionable traits, several Snapchat users are downright insistent that the technology needs to be deleted from the app, with several taking to Twitter to vent about the AI being forced on them.
Here’s what Snapchat has to say about its AI.
According to the app, the AI is “experimental” at this time, with Snapchat going on to share this disclaimer: “We’re constantly working to improve and evolve My AI, but it’s possible My AI’s responses may include biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading content. Because My AI is an evolving feature, you should always independently check answers provided by My AI before relying on any advice, and you should not share confidential or sensitive information.”
You can delete your interactions with the AI, but Snapchat also acknowledges that conversations are used to help improve the technology, leading many people to ultimately conclude their privacy is being compromised.
