Snapchat's My AI uses ChatGPT, but not all enterprises can
The social media app's new AI chatbot uses the latest OpenAI technology. However, OpenAI's privacy policy might make it difficult for enterprises to use the large language model.
Snapchat has launched a new AI chatbot with the latest customized version of OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Available on the new, experimental Snapchat+ that's coming out this week, My AI can recommend birthday gift ideas for users, suggest dinner recipes and write haikus, according to the social media company.
Snapchat also revealed in its announcement that the chatbot is "prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything," like other AI chatbots.
"It's an interesting and engaging way to provide added value to users in an interaction," Gartner analyst Bern Elliot said. "That context and that access to information can be useful."
The development also is not surprising, especially since Snapchat has shown itself as an adopter of technology with its use of augmented reality, Constellation Research analyst Liz Miller said.
This is really their first public step forward with AI and these large language models.
Liz MillerAnalyst, Constellation Research
"This is really their first public step forward with AI and these large language models," she said.
Incorporating ChatGPT will help Snapchat boost its subscriptions while making it easier for users to search, connect and create using the interactive AI technology, Miller added.
In its current state
However, Elliot said Snapchat might need to clarify how it plans to use people's data because of the lack of confidentiality and privacy agreement in OpenAI's privacy policy.
While OpenAI claims it won't sell people's information, the research lab's current privacy policy states that it can share users' information with third parties without limitation.
"If people are not properly warned about telling this chatbot something, they may not quite realize that what they give is very public," Elliot said. "In an environment like Snapchat, where you have a lot of young people -- even adults -- people don't always understand that they're giving information that's going to get around."
In its post about My AI, Snapchat warned users that every conversation with My AI will be stored and possibly reviewed to improve the product.
"Please do not share any secrets with My AI and do not rely on it for advice," the social media company said.
Despite this, and despite Snapchat's readiness to use a popular product such as ChatGPT, OpenAI's current privacy policy might mean that many enterprises and organizations are unable to incorporate the current version of ChatGPT, Elliot said.
Microsoft ChatGPT
The version of ChatGPT that many enterprises can use is Azure OpenAI Service. Last month, Microsoft expanded access to Azure OpenAI Service with large language models. The vendor also promised access to a fine-tuned version of ChatGPT through Azure OpenAI Service, which Microsoft released this year.
With this version of ChatGPT, customers' data is only retained for 30 days and is used for looking into patterns of misuse of the products, improving content and fixing failures.
"If that's the version that you are commercial with, then you have a lot more control over and assurances over how that information will be used," Elliot said.
For its part, Snapchat said it has designed My AI to avoid biased, incorrect or misleading information. Users can also provide feedback about the chatbot to Snapchat.
It's likely that other companies will follow suit and add ChatGPT technology, or something like it, to their products.
With Microsoft injecting ChatGPT into its Bing search engine, Google providing Bard to search users, and Meta launching its new large language model, Llama, for researchers and certain other organizations, generative AI applications are mushrooming quickly.
Meta, Canva and Shopify are just a few of the organizations that have started using large language models for customer service and other applications.
Other than offering services for consumers, Snapchat also has a few enterprise-grade services in different sectors, including e-commerce.
Esther Ajao is a news writer covering artificial intelligence software and systems.
