Snapchat, the social media app, has launched an AI chatbot which has received mixed reviews, with some users expressing concern about its prominence on the social media platform.
Snapchat’s latest feature, called My AI, is integrated with OpenAI’s GPT technology, which is also being used in Microsoft’s Bing search engine.
The chatbot is prominently displayed at the top of users’ chat feeds, and can only be removed by paid subscribers. However, this has caused confusion and criticism online, particularly regarding how the app uses location data.
Snapchat describes My AI as an “experimental, friendly chatbot” that can help users with tasks such as answering questions, providing advice, or planning trips. However, the company acknowledges that the tool may not always be accurate, and its responses “may include biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading content.”
Despite this, My AI has been released to millions of Snapchat users worldwide, following its initial launch to paid subscribers.
Purchasing Snapchat+ in the UK for £3.99 per month grants users access to customization features such as pinning and unpinning features, including My AI.
According to a spokesperson from Snap, the majority of users who have had early access to My AI have been enjoying it, resulting in millions of messages sent per day. The company has welcomed feedback from its dedicated community as it strives to enhance the user experience.
Snapchat received a wave of one-star reviews on Apple’s App store in the US after disgruntled users “review bombed” the app, according to TechCrunch. However, in the UK, the reviews have been more balanced.
While there are critical app store reviews, some of these are from users complaining that they are unable to access the feature.
There has been a lot of praise for it, and a trend has emerged with UK users asking it to rank footballers, or to name the best player in the Premier League.
The ominous clouds of doubt and suspicion have shrouded Snap, as their chatbot remains under scrutiny. The company has faced criticism for its lack of transparency, with users left questioning whether their private information, including location data, is at risk.
In a recent Twitter post “The Ghost of Tom Seaver” wrote “This Snapchat AI just tried to gaslight me”
Snap has attempted to allay concerns regarding the privacy of its users with a blog post, responding to criticism about the chatbot’s access to location data.
The post reassured users that the chatbot does not collect any new location information and can only access their location if they provide their consent.
The social media platform also updated My AI to clarify when it is aware of a user’s location. In the post, Snap emphasised that privacy is a foundational value for the company and that they aim to minimise the data collected while being transparent about the usage of the data.
The reassurances of Snap have done little to assuage the deep-seated concerns of some users. Trust they have placed in the company now hangs precariously in the balance and the specter of doubt lingers ominously over the future of their privacy
