Snap Inc. said: On Wednesday, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot will now be able to respond to user messages using a fully AI-generated image, as the owner of the photo messaging app Snapchat is deepening its work on AI technology.
The announcement was made during Snap’s annual Partner Summit. The company aims to use the technology to accelerate its development of augmented reality (AR) features, or computerized images to real-world photos and videos.
Artificial intelligence is gaining popularity
Generative AI has caught the attention of the tech industry in recent months and can generate original text or images in response to prompts.
Snap’s chatbot, called My AI, which can help users with everything from writing poems to finding information, was built using OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said My AI could help users explore more parts of the Snapchat app by recommending lenses, which can add effects to photos and videos, or using the map feature. of the app to recommend places in the real world to visit. Interview.
“This is the first time we’ve brought artificial intelligence to communication, which is at the heart of our service,” he said. “People are really using My AI as a creative tool. »
Snap said Wednesday that My AI is now available for free to all Snapchatters and can be called upon to answer questions during conversations between friends on Snapchat. The chatbot was first rolled out to users who pay $3.99 per month for the company’s premium Snapchat+ subscription.
Snap said its AI ability to respond to users with its own AI-generated images will first be available on Snapchat+, which has reached 3 million subscribers.
AI chatbot with safety guardrail
As AI chatbots develop, we wonder if AI could steal published work, provide inaccurate information, or return malicious responses to queries.
Snap said it has added new safeguards to My AI, including temporarily restricting a user’s access to the chatbot if they repeatedly ask inappropriate or malicious questions.
Spiegel said Snap analyzes conversations with My AI and finds that 99.5% of chatbot responses meet Snapchat’s community guidelines.
He added that My AI will now also take into account the user’s age to “ensure that the conversation is age-appropriate”.
On Wednesday, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company unveiled new AR mirrors that can be installed in stores to help customers try on clothes or see what accessories go with their outfit.
Snap said retailers Nike and Men’s Warehouse were using mirrors in some stores.
Mirrors is part of a corporate division launched last month to help other companies build AR experiences for their apps and websites. The project could also help Snap diversify beyond digital advertising, which currently accounts for the majority of its revenue.
(With contributions from Reuters)
