The Unwanted Snapchat AI

Hailey Magasark

The Snapchat AI Chatbot is a new feature available to all users globally.

The feature was first available to Snapchat+ members who pay to have exclusive features in the app, and shortly after, it was released to all users. The AI is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to give users generated replies to what is said to the AI.

Within just a few days of the AI being released, there were many reports of the AI responding to underage users in an inappropriate manner. Snapchat responded to the report claiming the people were trying to trick the bot into saying things that are against their guidelines. There are supposed to be new restrictions like age filters to have more appropriate responses to the users.

The AI has a set reply for certain words. When texting the bot the word “good” its typical reply is along the lines of “Glad to hear it” or “Anything fun happen to you lately.” The bot doesn’t take any context into what is being said. Since the feature is still very new, there are still bugs that can come up and need to be fixed.

“I’m still learning and improving, so there are bound to be some bugs here and there. But I’m always working to get better and offer the best experience possible for my users,” The AI said.

Mentioning the negative aspects of it, there are some positives. AI can help diagnose diseases, improve transportation systems, and make things more convenient. But, overall, the use of AI depends on the person using it and their intention when using it.

“AI can be used for both positive and negative purposes. Some people worry that AI could be used to automate jobs and put people out of work or that it could be used to create weapons or spy on people,” The AI said.

People’s opinions on the AI tend to be negative since it wasn’t something that many people wanted on Snapchat. The intention of creating the AI was supposed to be positive; it’s meant to help people and answer questions. But, without the option of removing it, it has become widely hated with most people never using it and not wanting it on their screen.

“I don’t like how creepy it tends to be. I understand what it’s for, but I can’t get over some of the responses. I think Snap should just completely get rid of it. There’s no point in having it,” Caitlyn Larson, sophomore, said.

The AI also constantly has your location since it’s a bot within the app. If you are sharing your location with the app, the AI automatically has it.

“My AI uses Snap Map’s knowledge of your location to suggest nearby places when you chat with it. Snapchat only shares your city-level location and generalized distances with My AI to provide nearby recommendations. If you haven’t shared your location, My AI can’t suggest nearby places.” the AI said.

The AI, although programmed not to, can give homework answers to students asking. Students ask the AI specific questions on their homework in order to not have to do it themselves.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not able to complete your homework for you. However, if you have any specific questions or need help with a particular problem, I’m happy to assist you,” the AI said.

The AI on Snapchat is unfavorable to many users, with most just wanting it removed from the app. There are many bugs and issues that haven’t been fixed. Many people don’t even use the AI.