Snap, the parent company of popular photo messaging app Snapchat, is rolling out its own AI-powered chatbot. The company told Reuters the chatbot, dubbed My AI, will only be available for premium subscribers of Snapchat+, which costs $3.99 a month.
“Today we’re launching My AI, a new chatbot running the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology that we’ve customized for Snapchat,” revealed Snap in a blog post.
My AI will be available “as an experimental feature for Snapchat+ subscribers” and will begin rolling out this week.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has already set the trend for AI chatbots, with industry leaders like Microsoft, Alphabet, Alibaba, and Baidu embracing the new chatbot era.
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Microsoft has already incorporated ChatGPT into its Bing search engine, while Google has announced a similar product called “Bard.” Similarly, the forgotten Opera browser is also planning to integrate ChatGPT.
Users urged not to rely on AI for advice
Concerns about sharing intimate details with AI remain heightened, and Snap reminded users not to share any secrets. The company even declared that the conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed, so the sharing of secrets will be more fragile here.
“Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance! All conversations with My AI will be stored and may be reviewed to improve the product experience,” the company wrote in its blog post.
However, interactions will only be stored until a user deletes them.
“Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice,” added Snap.
My AI is designed to “avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information,” though mistakes may still occur.
“The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day. And this is something we’re well positioned to do as a messaging service,” said Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap.
It’s just the beginning for the company’s generative AI plans, indicated Spiegel.
Snap expects revenue boost
Snap has faced significant challenges due to turmoil in the advertising market, as many companies have reduced their spending amid concerns about the economic downturn.
Additionally, changes made by Apple Inc. have made it harder for Snap to track users and effectively target ads. To counter these challenges, the company has introduced a subscription service to diversify its revenue streams.
Snap has, however, acknowledged it is unlikely to completely replace its ad revenue with earnings from the subscription service.
Snapchat is widely popular among youths, with 493.9 million users in 2022. It is expected to reach 525.7 million users worldwide in 2023, though the business is struggling according to The Verge.
By only allowing premium feature subscribers to interact with its new AI-powered chatbot, Snap may boost the number of subscribers to Snapchat+. Others, however, may look elsewhere when they wish to interact with a chatbot.
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