Snapchat, a popular social media platform, recently announced a new feature called “My AI” that uses artificial intelligence to create a personalized profile for each user. The feature uses machine learning algorithms to analyze the user’s activity, interests, and behavior on the app and then generates a unique AI-powered profile for them. While this may sound exciting for some users, there are concerns about how the feature may impact user privacy.
For example, some users may be uncomfortable with the idea of their personal data being used to create an AI profile without their explicit consent. According to Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN Business, in a TikTok video with more than 1.5 million views, a user named Ariel recorded a song with an intro, chorus, and piano chords written by My AI about what it’s like to be a chatbot. When she sent the recorded music back, she said the chatbot denied its involvement with the reply: “I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, I don’t write songs.” Ariel called the exchange “creepy.”
Additionally, there are concerns about how the AI profile may be used by Snapchat and potentially shared with third-party advertisers or other companies. Snapchat has stated that the My AI feature is designed to improve user experience and provide more personalized content recommendations.
However, it’s important for users to understand the potential risks and take steps to protect their privacy. This can include reviewing their privacy settings, limiting the amount of personal information shared on the app, and being cautious about what content they interact with on Snapchat. In the days since its formal launch, Snapchat users have been vocal about their concerns. One user called his interaction “terrifying” after he said he lied about not knowing where the user was located. After the user lightened the conversation, he told the chatbot accurately revealed he lived in Colorado.
The main issue revolving around this update seems to be that the My AI chat has been embedded into snapchat user’s personal inboxes, which is the space where most Snap users interact with others. That, to many, feels extremely intrusive and violating, especially since there’s actually no way to fully remove the My AI chat from the top of your inbox display.
Snapchat users and consumers are extremely connected to the app, many of which use it as their primary platform for personal interactions. With this in mind, one can clearly see why the random update of My AI is an annoyance and seems to be extremely violating to many people. The number of concerns users have raised concerns about the AI itself has spiked vigorously, especially since it has all information about location and personal details.
Therefore, the new “My AI” update on Snapchat can offer benefits, but it’s crucial to know the potential risks and invasion of privacy that goes along with it. The more we continue to let the artificial intelligence world grow, our privacy slowly decreases, which can put us majorly at risk in the near future.
