Snapchat makes history by being the first social platform to jump on the all-new generative AI bandwagon. We say ‘first social platform’ because Microsoft already beat it to the punch, but we digress. Snapchat’s introducing some new chatbot elements for Snapchat+ subscribers called ‘My AI’, which will integrate ChatGPT into the platform, providing AI-generated responses to queries.
SnapGPT
First, check out this example. Snap’s new purple-skinned My AI character will be available for Snapchat+ subscribers to pose questions to and will share answers customized for Snapchat. According to Snap:
“My AI can recommend birthday gift ideas for your BFF, plan a hiking trip for a long weekend, suggest a recipe for dinner, or even write a haiku about cheese for your cheddar-obsessed pal. Make My AI your own by giving it a name and customizing the wallpaper for your Chat.”
As noted, it’s the first social platform to directly integrate generative AI elements straight into its UI, while Meta is developing its own AI elements, along with Google, but neither has yet to integrate a tool like this directly into their social apps. It might just give Snap a leg-up on the competition, and an opportunity to capitalize on the AI hype. Microsoft, which is looking to do the same for its Bing search engine, has already seen huge demand for its new conversational experience.
That could help drive Snapchat+’s subscription rate up, which is already seeing 2.5 million paying subscribers as is, well beyond what we’ve seen via any other platform with a subscription offer – Twitter best takes some notes. Subscription options should offer exclusive and innovative add ons same as what Snap introduced, which it continues to build on, in turn making it a more significant income stream.
Like all social platforms, Snap has been feeling the pinch of the global downturn in ad spend, which has forced it to cut staff and rationalize some of its projects. The success of Snapchat+ thus makes for a huge boost and seems like a smart move from the app to wrap this much-hyped element into the experience. However, My AI does come with a warning:
“As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and can be tricked into saying just about anything. Please be aware of its many deficiencies and sorry in advance! While My AI is designed to avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information, mistakes may occur. Please press and hold on any message from My AI to submit feedback. We look forward to hearing about your experience with My AI.”
The Wrap
Snap also mentions that all conversations with My AI will be stored, and may be reviewed to improve the product experience. It’s still relatively early, and there may be a couple of teething problems, but it’s a savvy move for Snap to jump on the generative AI train, thus maximizing interest in its paid offerings.
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