Snapchat’s My AI chat bot is now available to non-paying users, and it’s already the subject of hilarious memes and genuine concerns.
In February, Snap rolled out the feature powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT to paying Snapchat+ users, and attracted about a million more subscribers in the 11 weeks since the announcement, Time reported.
As of Sunday , My AI is available for regular Snapchat users to chat to, and many are already posting about their strange conversations.
The opening prompt for My AI reads: “I’m your new AI chatbot. You can ask me just about anything and I’ll do my best to help. I’m always here for a laugh, and you can give me a name if you’d like. Is there anything I can do for you today?”
Those who’ve tested out the feature took to TikTok to share their jokes and concerns about the chat bot. Most kept their meme light-hearted, and mentioned using the bot like a therapist to unload their problems onto, or an ex they wish they could talk to.
Others, however, accused My AI of lying, gaslighting, and being an all-around creepy feature to chat with.
In a video that’s been viewed more than 12 million times, TikToker Evan Packard called My AI “horrifying” while displaying an exchange he had with the bot about his location.
According to the clip, the bot asked Packard where he liked to hike in the city he lived in, but when asked directly, My AI denied knowing his location. When asked again after changing the subject, the bot appeared to respond with Packard’s location.
Another creator alleged the ChatGPT-powered bot claimed to not have access to her personal information, yet it admitted to knowing her birth month in a previous message.
After seeing the online reactions to My AI, Insider decided to test out some basic conversation with the bot. In a conversation about chicken tenders, the bot recommended mixing dipping sauces and suggested portion sizes.
When the topic of location came up, issues similar to those highlighted by TikTokers occurred. When asked about the user’s location My AI said, “I’m not sure where you live, but I’m always happy to chat with you no matter where you are!”
Then, it accurately found the nearest pharmacy in the area, and answered correctly when asked about location a second time.
A Snap representative told Insider that My AI had been programmed to adhere to Snapchat’s community guidelines against inappropriate or harmful content.
“My AI understands a Snapchatter’s age, and location if it has been granted by them,” the statement read. “While My AI is far from perfect, our most recent analysis of how it’s performing found that 99.5% of My AI’s responses conform to our community guidelines.”
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the company was surprised to see such growth in its $3.99-a-month subscription, Time reported.
“We never expected that we could grow to 3 million subscribers,” Spiegel said, per Time. “What we essentially see is that when we release new features, that gets more people excited about signing up or trying Snapchat+. We definitely saw some nice momentum with My AI.”
