Snapchat’s latest AI assistant appears to be getting more attention than simply assisting users in booking appointments or finding recipes.

Users are increasingly concerned that the ChatGPT-powered bot has access to their personal information and location.

Key Takeaways

  • User Growth: Snapchat’s My AI added over one million users in 11 weeks since launch.
  • Privacy Concerns: Users worry that My AI accesses personal data and location without consent.
  • Allegations: TikTokers like Evan Pickard and Moe highlight instances of the AI providing location information despite denying tracking.
  • Snapchat’s Stance: Snapchat claims My AI adheres to community guidelines and denies inappropriate data use.
  • Public Reactions: Mixed reactions from users, with significant concern over potential surveillance and data privacy.

Is My AI Spying on Me?

Since its debut in February, Snapchat’s My AI has significantly increased its user base.

According to reports, the Evan Spiegel-led online platform has added over one million users in the last 11 weeks since the bot was announced.

Like any new technology, reactions about My AI have largely been a crosscurrent of opinions.
While many have praised the virtual assistant for being helpful, some have expressed concerns that the bot may be collecting more data than it reveals.

One such is Evan Pickard, a TikToker who referred to the AI bot as ‘horrifying’ in a short reel. So far, the reel has garnered over 12 million views.

In it, Pickard said the AI has some explaining to do. His reasons stemmed from My AI bot lying to him about not monitoring or tracking his movements during his hiking trip.

However, when he asked My AI again about his location, the AI bot gave him an approximate location, even though the AI had previously claimed that it was not tracking his movements.

This, according to Pickard, is concerning because these human-like intelligence programs could serve as a broader leverage for surveillance.

@evanpackardbusiness

This is a bit concenring. The snapchat AI has explaining to do….. #artificialintelligence #snapchat #worldwarthree #concerning #liar #dogsoftiktok #greenscreen

♬ original sound – evanpackardbusiness

Another TikToker, Moe, has come online to corroborate Pickard’s claims.

Moe explained that she had a conversation with My AI, asking the bot when it would like to be born if it were to be a human.

The AI responded that summer would be ideal, and she quipped that she was born in September. In response, the AI said it knew her birth month but didn’t want to mention that.

Later in the conversation, the AI admitted that it didn’t know any personal information about her, despite having previously stated that it did. Moe concluded the three-minute video by calling the technology weird and ‘unsettling.’

@moe.0101

New technology is so interesting yet unsettling #myai #snapchatmyai #snapchat #storytime #ai #artificialintelligence #fyp #parati

♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

Comments on the video shows that many people are concerned about this tool. They expressed worry that companies could use it to funnel user data for surveillance purposes.

Caught Lying Twice

Snapchat co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evan Spiegel has praised the feature to the high heavens.

According to Spiegel, he is surprised that the computer program contributed so much to the company’s growth even though it costs Snapchat+ users $3.99 a month to use the feature.

“We never expected that we could grow to 3 million subscribers. What we essentially see is that when we release new features, that gets more people excited about signing up or trying out Snapchat+. We definitely saw some nice momentum with My AI,” he said.

However, recent investigations show Spiegel might have to hold on to his flowers before handing them to the AI service.

To confirm the unsettling vibes My AI has been giving users, Business Insider’s Jordan Hart tried out the feature following its release for non-paying Snapchat users.

The conversation went smoothly until the issue of location tracking came up. When Hart asked it directly if it knew where he lived, the AI denied it and said it was always available to help him no matter where he was.

Digging further, Hart asked the computer program to pull up a list of pharmacies nearest to him, and the AI performed incredibly well. Maybe too well, as it curated a list of pharmaceutical businesses less than a thousand feet from where he was.

He asked the AI again to confirm if it knew where he was, and it replied in the affirmative.

A Snap spokesperson has since contacted Business Insider to clear the air.

According to them, My AI adheres strictly to Snapchat’s community guidelines against inappropriate or harmful content.

So far, it has worked strictly within the purview of those guidelines, with the spokesperson stating that it was 99.5% in line.

Artificial intelligence may be the next cool thing in tech. However, users are increasingly worried about the rapid pace at which these solutions are being integrated into everyday life.

One such person publicly stating their grievances is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

According to Musk, OpenAI’s for-profit framework makes it an unsuitable platform for launching human-derived intelligence programs.

Musk has since created his own AI program, TruthGPT, to fight back against the capitalist takeover of the industry.

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