Snapchat has integrated ChatGPT as a virtual friend called “My AI”. (Screenshot: The Verge)
For now only for Snapchat Plus subscribers, Snap is launching its own AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT. In the long term, Snap boss Evan Spiegel also wants to connect other AI language models.
Snapchat calls its bot “My AI”, which is not designed as a comprehensive service AI, but has its own user profile and in this respect comes across more like another friend on Snapchat. And that’s exactly how Spiegel sees the new bot, as he faces it The Verge reveals.
“The big idea is that not only do we talk to our friends and family every day, but we also talk to the AI every day,” he enthuses. “And that’s something we’re well positioned to do as a messaging service.”
Snapchat’s bot is added to the app’s chat tab above conversations with friends and costs $3.99 per month for Plus plan subscribers. In the longer term, according to Spiegel, the bot should be available to all 750 million monthly Snapchat users.
My AI essentially launches as a fast, mobile-friendly version of ChatGPT within Snapchat. Compared to the “big” model, Snap’s version is more limited in its response options.
The bot is trained to comply with the company’s content policies. This includes not providing responses that contain profanity, violence, sexually explicit content, or opinions on sensitive issues such as politics.
Overall, “My AI” should be much more reserved and cannot be used to create homework or other cheats, which have already led to a ChatGPT ban in schools on various occasions.
Snap relies on the latest version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT for “My AI”. This makes Snap one of the first customers of OpenAI’s new enterprise tier called Foundry. The enables the use of the latest GPT 3.5 model with dedicated computing power for large workloads.
According to Spiegel, Snap will also connect language models from other providers as OpenAI in the future. Snap wants to use the knowledge gained from chatbot use for training purposes. In any case, Snap boss Spiegel sees us heading towards a future in which we all talk to AI as if it were a human being.