When Snapchat meets ChatGPT, you get 'My AI'
What's the story
The AI chatbot fever is at its peak now. Snapchat has decided to take advantage of this frenzy by launching its own ChatGPT-powered chatbot.
Dubbed 'My AI,' it uses the latest version of ChatGPT. The chatbot is available as an experimental feature to Snapchat+ users, the social media platform's paid version.
The chatbot is customized for Snapchat users.
Context
Why does this story matter?
ChatGPT's incredible success has created FOMO (fear of missing out) among tech companies. Everyone is in a rush to either make their own AI chatbots or use ChatGPT to power their chatbots.
Snap falls in the latter category. The social media company, which had a poor 2022, does not want to miss out on the lucrative AI pie.
My AI
My AI will be pinned to Snapchat's chat tab
The 'My AI' chatbot will be pinned to Snapchat's chat tab. It will be above your conversations with friends.
My AI can answer trivia, suggest a birthday gift for friends, plan a weekend trip, or even write a haiku (short-form poetry from Japan).
You can personalize the AI by naming it and customizing the chat wallpaper.
Customized
The chatbot is more restricted than ChatGPT
In simple words, My AI is a mobile-friendly version of ChatGPT. However, Snapchat has customized the chatbot to fit its guidelines.
My AI is more restricted than ChatGPT. The social media company has trained it to adhere to Snap's trust and safety guidelines.
The chatbot is designed to "avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information," Snapchat's blog post reads.
A friend
Snapchat has designed My AI like a friend
Unlike ChatGPT, which has become a productivity tool, Snapchat wants My AI to be more of a friend. When you click on the chatbot, it will open a blank conversation page.
My AI's profile page looks like any other Snapchat profile. It even has a Bitmoji that looks like an alien.
Snapchat does not want you to treat My AI as a search engine.
Precaution
The chatbot is still prone to typical AI 'hallucinations': Snapchat
Despite the restrictions placed on My AI, Snapchat still says it is "prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything," like other AI-powered chatbots.
The company is alluding to the issues associated with Microsoft Bing's chatbot. Users have reported all sorts of unhinged responses from the chatbot.
It is not surprising, considering the complexity of this generation of AI chatbots.