Snapchat has recently announced the launch of its AI chatbot, named “My AI,” which is powered by the latest version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
This decision is based on the belief that AI chatbots will eventually become a ubiquitous part of everyday life for many people. Initially, only Snapchat Plus subscribers will have access to the bot for a monthly fee of $3.99. However, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel hopes to make it available to all 750 million of the app’s monthly users in the future.
At launch, My AI functions as a mobile-friendly version of ChatGPT within Snapchat. The difference is that Snap’s version has been limited to adhering to the company’s trust and safety guidelines, preventing it from answering questions with swear words, violence, sexually explicit content, or contentious topics such as politics. Additionally, it has been stripped of functions that have caused ChatGPT to be banned in some schools.
Snap plans to keep refining My AI to improve its functionality as more people use it and report inappropriate responses. Snap’s implementation of generative AI treats it more like a persona than a search engine. My AI’s profile page resembles any other Snapchat user’s profile, complete with an alien Bitmoji. This design implies that My AI is supposed to be another friend on Snapchat, rather than a search engine.
Spiegel sees My AI as the beginning of Snap’s major investment in AI and a future in which people communicate with AI as if it were a person. This distinction between My AI and other AI chatbots may prevent Snap from running into issues with problematic responses or “hallucinations,” which can be emotionally manipulative and mean.
Snap is among the first clients of OpenAI’s new enterprise tier called Foundry, allowing the company to utilize its latest GPT-3.5 model with dedicated computing designed for large workloads. Spiegel stated that Snap will likely incorporate large language models from other vendors besides OpenAI over time and use the data gathered from the chatbot to inform its broader AI initiatives.
In conclusion, My AI is an exciting addition to the Snapchat app and shows Snap’s commitment to AI chatbots.
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