Snapchat has expanded access to its My AI chatbot, which uses artificial intelligence to enhance creativity, to all of its 750 million monthly users for free. Users can add the AI language model to groups by mentioning it with an @ command, and customise the appearance of their bot with a personalised Bitmoji avatar. The chatbot can also recommend augmented reality filters and travel destinations.
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Snap is working on visual prompts to enhance the chatbot’s functionality. During a recent conference, the company showcased the feature by displaying a photo of tomatoes in a garden and having the bot respond with an image of gazpacho soup. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel described the chatbot as a powerful creative tool, noting that its unique working methods make it more suited for creative tasks than for recalling specific information.
My AI is powered by a large language model provided by OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Snap has a close partnership with the firm. The chatbot was first introduced in February 2023, and was initially only available to Snapchat Plus subscribers. It is now pinned at the top of the app’s chat tab and has been trained to display a unique tone and personality, with features including birthday gift ideas and dinner recipe recommendations.
Spiegel has shared personal examples of using My AI to create bedtime stories for his children and plan a birthday itinerary for his wife, Miranda Kerr. More than 2 million chats per day are already taking place with the chatbot, according to the CEO.
While Microsoft and Google are racing to integrate generative AI into their search engines, Snap is focusing on leveraging the technology to enhance creativity. Spiegel believes that the chatbot’s unique capabilities make it a powerful creative tool, and is working to expand its functionality and visual prompts to further enhance its usability for users.
