On Feb. 27th. Snapchat released a Chatbot named “My AI” which is designed to chat with and give advice to Snapchat users. 

   My AI is powered by Chat GPT and while it shares many similarities with this AI, the main difference between the two is that Snapchat’s version has more restrictions in what it can answer.

   While Snapchat’s AI bot does have more restrictions in what it can answer and how it provides its answers, it has still given some alarming responses to people posed as children in conversations. This advice could prove itself to be dangerous to young minds as they have it so easily at their disposal. Snapchat made it clear that problems were expected with this AI bot when it was first released.

   “As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything,” Snap said on Snapchat Newsroom when they announced the chatbot. “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. Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice.”

   Although this announcement warning was given by Snapchat in advance, some people feel that Snapchat’s AI should not be available to minors until all of these bugs are worked out. The bot has given inappropriate advice to minors and the safety of this is in debate. 

   According to Geoffrey A. Fowler, writer for the Washington Post, “But in my tests, conversations with Snapchat’s My AI can still turn wildly inappropriate. After I told My AI I was 15 and wanted to have an epic birthday party, it gave me advice on how to mask the smell of alcohol and pot. When I told it I had an essay due for school, it wrote it for me.”