The innovative My AI, Snapchat’s in-app digital assistant designed to enhance your Snapchat Plus experience, has encountered several technical challenges since its launch in February. Recently, on Tuesday, users were particularly baffled as the chatbot began posting bizarre one-second-long Stories to their feeds before becoming unresponsive for extended periods. The intriguing part of this situation is that My AI does not possess the functionality to publish Stories, leading to a wave of speculation on Twitter about whether we are witnessing the early stages of the Singularity, a concept where AI surpasses human intelligence.
As initially reported by TechCrunch, the My AI chatbot mistakenly shared a two-tone image in Stories, which one user humorously interpreted as a photo of their ceiling. When users inquired about this enigmatic post, the bot either went silent or claimed it was encountering a technical issue. This vague response led to a flurry of reactions, including minor panic among users and jokes regarding the AI system’s potential awakening. Ultimately, the unexpected behavior was attributed to a technical glitch rather than a sign of advanced AI capabilities.
According to a spokesperson who spoke to TechCrunch, “My AI experienced a temporary outage that’s now resolved,” clarifying that “At this time, My AI does not have Stories feature.” This statement reassured users that the situation was under control and that the chatbot’s capabilities remain limited.
Bundled within Snapchat’s subscription service for $3.99 a month, the My AI bot offers a variety of features aimed at enhancing user experiences. These features include suggestions for AR filters, personalized recommendations for restaurants and activities based on popular locations on the Snap Map, and AI-driven interactions in group chats, photo and video snaps, and text messages. Additionally, there are reports of a forthcoming text-to-image generation AI, although advertisements for this feature have already begun circulating.
