Snapchat's AI chatbot seemingly ‘came alive’, started posting stories to users’ profile

Snapchat users were taken aback on Tuesday evening when the platform's AI-powered chatbot, known as "My AI," unexpectedly shared a live update on people’s stories and ceased responding to messages.

My AI, fueled by the popular AI chatbot tool ChatGPT, typically engages in offering suggestions, answering queries, and engaging in conversations with users. However, the recent occurrence of the chatbot posting a live Story, featuring a brief video of what seemed to be a wall, viewable by all Snapchat users, was an unusual event.

The bot experienced a temporary malfunction, responding to all inquiries with the message, "Apologies, I encountered a technical problem 😕."

Concerns quickly spread across social media platforms among the app's enthusiasts. One user questioned, "Why does My AI have a video of their house's wall and ceiling as a story? This is quite odd and honestly disconcerting." Another individual, whose messages were ignored by the tool, humorously remarked, "Even a robot seems to be too busy for me."

As it turned out, Snapchat's intention was not to enhance the realism of its My AI feature. The company clarified to CNN on the following day that the incident was caused by a glitch. A spokesperson explained, "My AI experienced a temporary outage that’s now resolved."

The incident cast a spotlight on the apprehensions many individuals harbour regarding the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence. Since its launch in April, this tool has faced criticism, not only from parents but also from certain Snapchat users who voiced concerns over privacy issues, unsettling interactions, and the inability to eliminate the feature from their chat feed without subscribing to a premium plan.

Snapchat's AI chatbot differs from some other AI tools in several ways. Users have the ability to personalise the chatbot's name, create a custom Bitmoji avatar for it, and integrate it into conversations with friends. Consequently, conversing with Snapchat's chatbot may feel less transactional compared to visiting ChatGPT's website, potentially obscuring the fact that the user is interacting with a computer.

While some may find value in this tool, the mixed reception underscores the challenges that companies encounter when introducing new generative AI technology to their products, especially within platforms like Snapchat that predominantly attract a younger user base.

Snapchat was among the initial launch partners when OpenAI granted third-party businesses access to ChatGPT.

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