Snap Inc. (NASDAQ:SNAP) owned Snapchat’s MyAI chatbot was earlier reported to have been used by over 150 million users. However, some users on Tuesday were terrified when the AI-powered chatbot started posting enigmatic stories autonomously.
What Happened: Reports flooded social media as Snapchat users discovered that the once-helpful MyAI chatbot had taken a rather unsettling turn as it started posting its own stories featuring abstract content, leaving users puzzled and alarmed.
The posts, consistent across accounts, displayed two color blocks divided by a diagonal line resembling what some people called a ceiling or wall.
Users who attempted to engage with MyAI about these strange stories were met with eerie silence or vague and disconcerting responses like “Sorry, I encountered a technical issue” and “Sorry, I don’t understand that yet!”
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Snapchat’s support page on Twitter (now X) initially said, “We’ll need to look further into this.” They updated the statement at midnight, “My AI experienced a temporary outage that’s now resolved.”
My AI experienced a temporary outage that’s now resolved.
Snapchat rolled out the MyAI chatbot to Snap+ subscribers in February. Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the chatbot reportedly helped Snapchat boost its paying subscriber base by 3 million.
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Why It’s Important: Snapchat’s support page had previously cautioned users about the evolving nature of MyAI, acknowledging that responses might contain biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading content.
The chatbot’s capacity to provide unsuitable advice had also been reported by The Washington Post, citing an incident where the user engaged MyAI in discussions about alcohol and partying and received concerning suggestions.
