Expert warns SnapChat users about AI feature, but predicts bright future for the tech

(WAND) — Artifical intelligence seems to be popping up everywhere. For SnapChat users, a new My AI feature allows people to chat, send pictures and get questions answered.

"We are really in the beginning of something huge that is going to happen over the course of the next few years," Volodymyr Kindratenko, Assistant Director for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, told WAND News. Kindratenko also works at the University of Illinois' Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation.

While the My AI feature has had mixed reviews, experts like Kindratenko said users should be cautious when interacting with the new technology.

"Me and a couple of my buddies have messed with it a little bit. Just said some random things to it, asked it some funny things," SnapChat user Bradyn Olmstead told WAND News.

In just a few weeks, some users have already been concerned with the chatbot tracking location and data.

"I just thought it was creepy, because I remember watching a movie in like middle school, with my teachers, about how AI is scary and could overtake the world," Corryn Adams, another SnapChat user, told WAND News.

"Everything is being stored, our data is being tracked — so it doesn't really matter," Olmstead added.

Kindratenko said the tech is based on the same model as Chat GPT.

"There are plenty of opportunities for this thing not to work as originally intended, this is a very brand new technology. We are only in the very beginning of exploring what this technology is capable of doing," Kindratenko explained.

He said the technology's biggest hurdle is sourcing accurate information.

"It is prone to provide factually incorrect answers, answers that people may be offended by in some ways, simply because this technology is not developed that well yet," Kindrtenko added.

He said users should be cautious with sharing personal information with the chatbot.

"Be careful to the same degree, because you just don't know exactly what's on the other end of it," Kindratenko said.

But as AI improves, he said it could be a critical tool to improve our lives.

"There is so much that needs to be done for this technology to evolve to become mature, to become responsive, responsible and ethical," Kindertanko added.

On its website, SnapChat describes the feature:

"My AI is a chatbot currently available to Snapchatters.

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.

We’re constantly working to improve and evolve My AI, but it’s possible My AI’s responses may include biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading content. Because My AI is an evolving feature, you should always independently check answers provided by My AI before relying on any advice, and you should not share confidential or sensitive information.

Snapchatters can easily send feedback to our team by long pressing on any response from My AI to share more on what they’d like to see more or less of while we continue to train My AI.

My AI is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, with additional safety enhancements and controls unique to Snapchat. We believe there should be transparency when AI is involved in content creation. If you share content generated by My AI with others, please let them know AI was involved in your work."