Snapchat AI

About

Snapchat AI, also known as My AI or My AI Chat, is an artificial intelligence chatbot on Snapchat that was released in April 2023. My AI was created with OpenAI's ChatGPT, being a more restricted and mobile-friendly version of the software. Viral discourse and memes surfaced en masse upon the feature's release. Some of the most viral posts were on Twitter, including screenshots from users purportedly showing Snapcaht AI knowing their location, prompted by the question, "Where's the closest McDonald's?" Others got Snapchat AI to say the N-word, reveal its data or simply posted memes that portrayed them talking to it while alone and lonely.

History

On February 27th, 2023, the official Twitter^[1] account of Snapchat tweeted that the company was rolling out My AI, a "personal AI sidekick located right in your Chat." The tweet gained over 570 likes in two months and included a promo video for the feature (shown below). This initial release was only for Snapchat Plus subscribers, however, the company planned to release it for all Snapchat users in the coming months.^[2]

On April 19th, 2023, the Snapchat Twitter^[3] posted a new announcement tweet and video, stating that the My AI chatbot was available for all Snapchat users. The tweet gained over 350 likes in five days (shown below).

Say hi to My AI, our new chatbot located at the top of your chat. Write a song for your bestie who loves cheese, find the best IYKYK restaurant, or Snap it a photo of your garden to find the perfect recipe. Now free for all Snapchatters. #SnapPartnerSummit pic.twitter.com/U2KdozuWQz

— Snapchat (@Snapchat) April 19, 2023

Snapchat AI Posts Its Own Story

Snapchat AI Posted Its Own Story refers to reports that Snapchat's My AI chatbot posted a short video of what some believe is someone's wall and ceiling to multiple users' accounts of its own volition. Snapchat AI was also reported to be unavailable to some following the post. The incident took place on August 15th, 2023, resulting in numerous Snapchat users sharing the story online wondering how it happened, also inspiring memes about the situation. Multiple users asked Snapchat AI about the incident, resulting in a variety of answers. Snapchat confirmed the My AI had an outage on the 15th, but did not immediately comment on the Story post.

Features

Snapchat's My AI runs on OpenAI's ChatGPT and is marketed as a faster, mobile-friendly and more restricted version of the software.^[2] Additionally, the feature includes ephemeral data, as in, My AI data is deleted automatically within 24 hours, similar to Snapchat's general messaging.^[4] Also, unlike regular ChatGPT, Snapchat's My AI is marketed more as a persona,^[2] as in Snapchat encouraged its users to give it a nickname and provided the chatbot with a Bitmoji. The personification of My AI is similar to Replika AI.

Online Reactions

Snapchat AI Knows Location Data / "Where's The Closest McDonald's?"

Soon after the release of Snapchat's My AI, reactions started surfacing on social media, including screenshots of users' messages with the AI that went viral in late April 2023. For instance, the earliest, viral screenshot of Snapchat AI was tweeted by Twitter^[5] user @rewolfe27 on April 19th, 2023, who asked My AI, "Do you have access to my location?" My AI denied that it did, but eventually, @rewolfe27 asked it, "Where's the closest McDonald's?" to which it replied with a McDonald's close to his location. @rewolfe27 captioned the screenshot, "This Snapchat AI just tried to gaslight me," and over the course of five days, it received roughly 146,100 likes (shown below).

The tweet inspired viral discourse about Snapchat AI's knowledge of its users' location data. For instance, on April 19th, Twitter^[6] user @benjaminpoll tweeted similar screenshots, proclaiming, "the snapchat AI bot very quickly walking back that it pretty obviously has and uses my location data," and gaining roughly 7,500 likes in five days (shown below, left). On April 20th, 2023, Twitter^[7] user @queercryptoid tweeted screenshots in which they asked My AI where their closest McDonald's and Little Ceasar's were, gaining roughly 2,300 likes in four days (shown below, right).

Other Reactions

Another viral post about Snapchat AI was a tweet sent by Twitter^[8] user @tracedontmiss on April 21st, 2023, who purportedly got My AI to say the N-word, receiving roughly 49,400 likes in three days (shown below, left). On April 22nd, Twitter^[9] user @moshpitterr tweeted a screenshot that supposedly showed them telling My AI that they put a bomb inside the Snapchat headquarters building. The bomb threat tweet gained roughly 33,400 likes in two days (shown below, right).

Other screenshots and reactions surfaced on iFunny, such as a post from iFunnyer^[10] @mybloodytestes on April 23rd, 2023, that gained roughly 9,700 smiles in one day (shown below, left). On April 22nd, Instagram ^[11] user @ty_funnyfunny_ tweeted a conversation with My AI showing the chatbot telling him he was "extremely big!" The post gained roughly 61,600 likes in two days (shown below, right).

Various Reactions

Search Interest

External References