Snapchat users across the globe can now use artificial intelligence to fuel conversations with their friends. The company says My AI is available to all users for free.
Developed using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, users can activate the chatbot in conversations by mentioning @MyAI in chats.
The company originally started testing the feature with subscribers in the U.S. in February. CEO Evan Spiegel says 99.5 percent of the responses the chatbot produces conform to the company’s community guidelines. “My AI certainly makes plenty of mistakes, so you can’t rely on it for advice, but it’s definitely entertaining,” Spiegel said during the company’s annual summit.
More than 750 million people across 20 countries use Snapchat every month. Its subscription service, Snapchat+, has more than three million subscribers, marking a period of growth. Back in August, only one million users were using the service.
Othe new features
Snap wants its users to have small blasts from the past with its new Friendship Flashbacks feature. This will allow the platform to resurface saved snaps in conversations, similar to the way Google Photos reminds users of photos from years ago.
“At Snap, we know that Friendships are based on shared experiences, and we’re always looking for ways to help our community celebrate the people closest to them,” Jack Brody, vice president of product, said.
The company will also introduce a new shared Story type called After Dark. It will allow users to add snaps to the Story after 8pm. Only those who posted the night before can access the Story the next morning. A feature “for the early birds” will also be making its way to the app soon, Brody said but didn’t provide further details.
Starting today, users can also access Live Location — a feature that will allow friends to track each other on Snapchat. “This makes it easy to see each other when you’re both on the go,” Brody said.
Image credit: Snap
In the music and entertainment world, the company is working with Disguise to bring Snap’s AR to music venues and tours, allowing users to see AR visuals through the Snapchat camera.
The company is also collaborating with Kygo to bring the feature to his concerts in the summer. The move builds on Snap’s AR partnerships, which include Samsusng’s decision to integrate Snap AR in the native camera on Galaxy A, F, and M series phones.
Image credit: Shutterstock
