Snapchat adds AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT
The social media app is just the latest platform to embrace artificial intelligence
Snapchat is the latest platform to get in on the artificial intelligence hype wave with a new AI chatbot powered by the same model that underpins ChatGPT.
Called My AI, the chatbot will be made available as an “experimental feature” later this week for members of the platform’s $3.99-a-month premium subscription service, Snapchat+.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Snapchat My AI
🤖 Snapchat is releasing an AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT
📜 The feature, called My AI, can generate basic information
😬 But Snapchat has already said it’s prone to errors
🤔 It’s just the latest example of AI making its way into a popular platform
According to a blog post, My AI can “recommend birthday gift ideas for your BFF, plan a hiking trip for a long weekend, suggest a recipe for dinner, or even write a haiku about cheese for your cheddar-obsessed pal”. You’ll also be able to name the chatbot and customize the wallpaper for its text box.
Snapchat’s parent company doesn’t seem wholly confident in the AI’s ability, though. It explicitly warns that “My AI is prone to hallucination [whereby an AI model confidently and repeatedly states factually incorrect information] and can be tricked into saying just about anything”.
“Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance!” it adds. “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.”
ChatGPT made a series of public blunders a few weeks during Microsoft’s first showcase of its new AI-powered version of Bing. As well as wrongly summarizing facts and omitting information, it generated a summary of clothing retailer Gap’s financial earnings report that was riddled with inaccuracies and incorrect figures.
Google’s conversational AI tool Bard didn’t fare much better during its public debut. After being asked for interesting facts about NASA’s James Webb Telescope, the artificial intelligence engine wrongly said the device was the first telescope used to take a picture of a planet outside of our solar system – seemingly forgetting the Very Large Telescope facility achieved that feat in 2004.
Despite those stumblings, consumer and developer excitement around AI advancements has picked up in recent weeks. Nvidia praised ChatGPT as the technology’s ‘iPhone moment’ and Microsoft announced a multi-billion dollar investment in the model’s creator, OpenAI.
Between CNET using AI to generate financial explainer articles, and Microsoft Teams embracing the technology with new AI-powered tools, it looks as though artificial intelligence is creeping its way across consumer technology.