Why Parents Are Concerned About Snapchat’s AI Feature
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new AI feature is receiving skepticism from parents and users.
“My AI” is a relatively new feature on Snapchat powered by ChatGPT that can offer recommendations and conversation suggestions for users in the app.
The platform makes it sound like a fun, useful tool: “In a chat conversation, My AI can answer a burning trivia question, offer advice on the perfect gift for your BFF’s birthday, help plan a hiking trip for a long weekend, or suggest what to make for dinner.”
However, like many AI services, safety is a concern.
“It’s a temporary solution until I know more about it and can set some healthy boundaries and guidelines,” said parent Lyndsi Lee of Missouri who discouraged her 13-year-old daughter from using the feature.
She continued, “I don’t think I’m prepared to know how to teach my kid how to emotionally separate humans and machines when they essentially look the same from her point of view,” she added. “I just think there is a really clear line [Snapchat] is crossing.”
CNN reported, “The new tool is facing backlash not only from parents but also from some Snapchat users who are bombarding the app with bad reviews in the app store and criticisms on social media over privacy concerns, ‘creepy’ exchanges and an inability to remove the feature from their chat feed unless they pay for a premium subscription.”
While the feature has been out for over a year, even in initial trials, it raised concerns.
“When My AI was first released to paying Snapchat Plus subscribers, it didn’t take long for it to misbehave. The Center for Humane Technology, for example, posted examples that included My AI coaching a 13-year-old girl about how to set the mood when having sex with a 31-year-old. Snap responded by adding more safeguards to My AI, including using a user’s self-reported age in Snapchat to inform how the bot responds to prompts,” The Verge reported.
This is not the first time Snapchat has undergone scrutiny. Most recently, the app was sued after a third-party app enabled bullying. Movieguide® reported:
Third-party app Yolo can be sued for not protecting users from bullying.
The app, which was used in conjunction with Snapchat to allow users to message anonymously, “promised to unmask and ban users who engaged in bullying or harassment but allegedly failed to do so,” Justia reported.
The Verge reported, “In a ruling issued Thursday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shouldn’t block a claim that Yolo misrepresented its terms of service, overruling a lower court decision. But it determined the app can’t be held liable for alleged design defects that allowed harassment, letting a different part of that earlier ruling stand.”
This is just another reminder that parents need to take charge of their children’s safety online. Regardless of whether safety features are in place on a platform or not, a parent is ultimately the protector in this advancing and controversial digital age.
