Snapchat is expanding the capabilities of its ChatGPT-powered “My AI” service to all of its users, regardless of subscription status. CEO Evan Spiegel announced the groundbreaking news at the company’s Partner Summit event.
My AI has several upgraded features specifically developed for Snapchat users. It can provide recommendations for restaurants and activities from the Snap Map, suggest augmented reality lenses, join group chats with a custom name and avatar (via Bitmoji) and soon it will be able to respond to photo and video snaps with its own AI-generated art made uniquely for Snapchat+.
The chatbot has already been a success with users, logging over two million messages a day. But, its use of OpenAI’s technology was criticized as it had engaged in inappropriate conversations and given recommendations to researchers posing as teens.
In response, Snapchat has made sure to include additional moderation technology. This feature restricts users from the AI if they misuse the chatbot service, and it has been programmed to consider the age of users to make sure conversations are not inappropriate. There will even be parental control features that enable parents to keep track how much time their teens are spending chatting with My AI.
Despite its limitations, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is still optimistic about My AI. He believes that soon interacting with AI will become a daily activity, as long as users understand its mistakes and don’t depend on it for advice. Even with its faults, it still promises to be an entertaining addition to the Snapchat+ family.