In the world of generative AI, it is essential to balance fast paced innovation and privacy. In this context, Snapchats generative AI implementation called ‘My AI’ has been controversial since its launch. My AI is a chatbot that uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT-technology to allows you to have lifelike conversations with a chatbot within Snapchat. As can be seen in the picture below, My AI is always on top of your personal chat overview where the rest of your Snapchat interactions with friends are listed. Just like most of your friends, My AI can be recognised by a pink coloured ‘Bitmoji’, Snapchat’s signature customizable avatar. My AI draws the illusion it was designed to act as you digital assistant, but more importantly, your online best friend.
Now you may ask yourself: What is there so controversial about Snapchat’s My AI? We are all familiar with the wide range of chatbots using generative AI, what makes My AI so much more controversial?
Forming an estimated 20 percent of Snapchat’s total users, users aged 13 to 17 form a substantial part of Snapchat’s overall users. This age group is known to be particularly vulnerable to the impact of social media. Teenagers in this age group are still in a phase of developing their critical thinking skills. They may not possess the needed knowledge and skills to distinguish between artificial or misleading content and reality. This is where, in my opinion My AI’s design becomes concerning.
It is to be expected that certain users may find it challenging to differentiate between a chatbot and a friend. After all, the chatbot is part of your friend list and its avatar closely resembles the avatar of friends. My AI seems to be designed to create the illusion of genuine human conversations. As expected, this did not escape Snapchat’s attention. On Snapchat’s newsroom, the statement below was made:
“As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything. Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance! All conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed to improve the product experience. Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice.”1
Before writing this post, I used My AI itself. While experimenting with My AI, which involved some controversial and unethical questions, I discovered that the chatbot is well-equipped with ethical boundaries and safety measures. The chatbot consistently provided ‘politically correct’ responses. However, it’s crucial to note that this blog’s main emphasis is not on the specific content of My AI’s conversation but, rather, on the rationale behind its existence and presentation.
I firmly believe that the current way My AI is presented on the platform is potentially misleading for Snapchat’s underaged users. My prediction is that , despite Snapchat’s warning, certain adolescents are likely to share personal information and might become reliant on My AI for personal advice. My suggestion for Snapchat would be to dehumanize My AI and implement frequent, repetitive warnings for underaged users regarding the chatbots artificial nature.
Now I invite you, as a reader, to share your opinion on this matter. And please feel free to express a different viewpoint.
1=https://newsroom.snap.com/say-hi-to-my-ai?lang=en-US
Picture is retrieved from https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/24/snapchat-my-ai-pinned-to-feed-update/
Interesting blogpost! I enjoyed the fact that you did not cover your specific conversations with MyAI, but rather took a step back and quesitoned the need for its existence in the first place. I am also puzzled by Snap Inc.’s motives and desired use-case when it comes to MyAI. I don’t know if Snapchat should be pushing its (mostly Gen Z) users to converse and find support in an AI model rather than their friends. Nevertheless an interesting exploration on the topic. Well done!