Lyndsi Lee, a mother from East Prairie, Missouri, advised her 13-year-old daughter to refrain from interacting with the new AI chatbot mere hours after Snapchat launched it to all users last week.
Lee, a software company employee, stated, “It is a temporary solution until I have a better understanding of the matter and can establish some healthy boundaries and guidelines.” She is concerned about the manner in which the new AI is presented to young users, such as her daughter, on Snapchat.
The ubiquitous AI chatbot tool ChatGPT powers the feature, which is capable of conversing with users, answering queries, and providing recommendations.
However, Snapchat’s version differs in several significant ways: Users have the ability to personalize the chatbot’s name, create a custom Bitmoji avatar, and integrate it into conversations with their peers.
The overall result is that interacting with Snapchat’s chatbot may appear less transactional than visiting ChatGPT’s website. Additionally, it may be less apparent that you are conversing with a computer.
Lee stated, “I am uncertain as to how to instruct my child in the process of emotionally distinguishing between humans and machines, as they appear to be identical from her perspective.” “I simply believe that there is a very clear line that [Snapchat] is crossing.”
Not only are parents and some Snapchat users criticizing the new tool on social media, but the app is also receiving negative reviews in the app store. The negative reviews are related to privacy concerns, “creepy” exchanges, and the inability to remove the feature from the chat feed without paying for a premium subscription.
The utility may be beneficial to some, but the varied reactions suggest the potential risks that companies may encounter when introducing new generative AI technology to their products, particularly those such as Snapchat, which have a younger user base.
Snapchat was an early launch partner when OpenAI granted third-party businesses access to ChatGPT, and it is anticipated that numerous additional partners will follow. Snapchat has virtually overnight compelled certain families and legislators to confront inquiries that may have appeared hypothetical only months ago.
