Snapchat has announced that it will be offering its AI chatbot for free to all of its 750 million monthly users.
The chatbot is powered by GPT and was first made available to the social network’s three million paid subscribers in March.
“My AI” can provide factual information, creative content, and engage in conversations with users. Additionally, it can also be added to group chats and can make suggestions about Augmented Reality filters or places to visit.
The app can even send photos and provide AI-generated images in response. Users will be able to change the name and look of the bot with a custom Bitmoji avatar.
Jack Brody, Snap’s vice president of product, said the introduction of the free Artificial Intelligence chatbot will help deepen the company’s ability to serve its mission of “helping people express themselves, learn about the world, live in the moment, and have fun together.”
The move is also part of Snapchat’s focus on private communication over public broadcasting, setting it apart from platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Brody said that new tools will be introduced to allow creators to run public pages while posting privately for friends and family. Snapchat is also increasing its efforts to pay creators for their viral success, with eligible users requiring a minimum of 50,000 followers, 25 million views, and at least 10 public posts per month.
Despite its initial criticisms, My AI has become popular with users, handling over two million chats per day.
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel said that he saw the technology as “an awesome creative tool” and has used the chatbot to create bedtime stories for his children and plan his wife’s birthday itinerary.
The chatbot has been designed to help users express themselves, learn about the world, live in the moment and have fun together.
The company will be more careful about providing age-appropriate advice after criticism that it was inappropriate for young users. Brody said that in 99.5% of cases, responses from the bot conform to the community guidelines.