(CNN) Less than hours after Snapchat rolled out its My AI chatbot to all users last week, Lindsey Lee, a mom from East Prairie, Missouri, told her 13-year-old daughter to stay away from the feature. I was.
“This is a temporary solution until I have a better understanding of it and can set healthy boundaries and guidelines,” said Lee, who works at a software company. How My AI appears on Snapchat to younger users like my daughter.
This functionality is powered by the viral AI chatbot tool ChatGPT, which, like ChatGPT, can offer recommendations, answer questions, and have conversations with users. However, Snapchat’s version has some important differences.users are chatbots Give it a name, design a custom Bitmoji avatar, and join the conversation with your friends.
The net effect is that a conversation with a Snapchat chatbot may feel less transactional than visiting the ChatGPT website. .
“I don’t think I’m prepared to teach my own kids how to emotionally distinguish between humans and machines when they look essentially alike,” Lee said. “I think there’s a really clear line [Snapchat] crossing. ”
The new tool has received backlash from parents as well as some Snapchat. Users attacking the app with bad reviews in app stores, criticism of privacy concerns on social media, “spooky” interactions, and the inability to remove features from chat feeds without paying for a premium subscription.
While some may see value in the tool, mixed reactions suggest the risks companies face as they roll out new generative AI technologies into their products.
Snapchat was an early launch partner when OpenAI opened up access to ChatGPT to third-party businesses. Snapchat has made families and legislators think almost overnight of a problem that might have seemed theoretical just a few months ago.
Snapchat’s new AI chatbot.
In a letter to the CEOs of Snap and other tech companies just weeks after My AI was released to Snap’s subscription customers last month, Democratic Sen. expressed concern about the dialogue. In particular, he cited reports that he could suggest to children on how to lie to their parents.
“These examples are problematic for any social media platform, but they are particularly troublesome for Snapchat, which is used by nearly 60% of American teens,” Bennet wrote. “Snap admits My AI is ‘experimental’, but has nonetheless rushed to enroll American children and adolescents in a social experiment.”
In a blog post last week, the company said:
user backlash
Since its official launch, Snapchat users have expressed concerns. One user called his interaction “terrifying” after he lied about not knowing where the user was. he said
In another TikTok video with over 1.5 million views, a user named Ariel recorded a song about what it’s like to be a chatbot, with an intro, chorus and piano chords written by My AI. Did. When she sent back the song she had recorded, the chatbot said, “Sorry, as an AI language model, I don’t write songs.” Ariel called the exchange “creepy.”
Other users shared their concerns about how the tool understands, interacts with, and collects information from photos. “I took a picture…and it said ‘nice shoes’ and asked who was who [were] In pictures,” the Snapchat user wrote on Facebook.
Snapchat told CNN that it continues to improve My AI based on community feedback and is working to establish more guardrails to keep users safe. The company also says that, like other tools, users don’t have to interact with My AI if they don’t want to.
Impossible However, to remove My AI from the chat feed unless the user subscribes Snapchat+, a monthly premium service. Some of his teens say he chose to pay her $3.99 Snapchat+ fee to turn off the tool before immediately canceling the service.
However, not all users dislike this feature.
One user wrote on Facebook that he asked My AI to help him with his homework. “It gets all questions right.” Another said she relies on it for comfort and advice. “I love my little pockets, dear friend!” rice field. “Can change bit characters [avatar] Surprisingly, it offers really great advice for some real-life situations. …I love the support it gives. ”
Early calculations of how teenagers use chatbots
ChatGPT, trained on vast amounts of online data, has previously been accused of spreading inaccurate information, responding to users in ways deemed inappropriate, and allowing students to cheat. . However, Snapchat’s integration of this tool risks exacerbating some of these issues and adding new ones.
Alexandra Hamlett, a clinical psychologist in New York City, said the parents of some of her patients have expressed concerns about how their teenagers can manipulate Snapchat tools. . There are also concerns about chatbots offering advice. Because AI tools reinforce someone’s confirmation bias, making it easier for users to look for interactions that confirm their own unhelpful beliefs.
“If teens are in a negative mood and don’t have a desire to feel better, they may seek out conversations with chatbots that they know will make them feel worse,” she said. rice field. “Even though teens know they are really talking to bots, they can undermine their sense of values over time. Emotional states of mind make individuals think this kind of logic. You won’t be able to do that.”
For now, it’s up to parents to start meaningful conversations with their teens about best practices for communicating with AI. Especially since the tools are starting to appear in more popular apps and services.
Sinead Bovell, founder of WAYE, a tech-savvy startup that helps prepare young people for the future, says parents need to make it clear that “chatbots are not your friend.” said.
“They are not your therapist or your trusted advisor.
“From a user design standpoint, chatbots live in the same corner of Snapchat, but parents should now have conversations with their kids about not sharing anything personal with chatbots.”
She added that federal regulations requiring companies to adhere to specific protocols are also necessary to keep up with the rapid pace of AI advancement.
