Snapchat’s community found itself perplexed and somewhat uneasy on a recent Tuesday night when the app’s AI chatbot, known as My AI, suddenly experienced an unforeseen glitch. The incident resulted in the chatbot posting a baffling Story on its profile and failing to respond in its usual manner during text conversations, leading users to question the bot’s dependability. My AI, a globally introduced feature earlier this year, was designed to interact with users on a friendly level, offering recommendations for places to visit, suggesting Lenses, and engaging in chat dialogues based on received Snaps. However, this seemingly seamless functionality hit an unexpected roadblock, as the chatbot consistently replied to messages with a standard default response: “Sorry, I encountered a technical issue 😳.”
Compounding the unusual situation, My AI also shared its very first Story on its profile. Although the Story was promptly removed and inaccessible to outlets like Mashable, brief video clips circulated on social media provided glimpses of a monotonous beige scene with a light-colored top quarter, sparking speculation regarding its context, potentially depicting a wall and ceiling.
A representative from Snap confirmed the occurrence of the glitch but assured users that the problem had been rectified. Despite this assurance, some users continued to experience residual issues, receiving responses like, “Hey, I’m a bit busy at the moment. Can we catch up later? 😊.” Fortunately, the chatbot eventually resumed its typical functioning, enabling users to seek clarification about the enigmatic Story. However, when questioned by Mashable, My AI appeared evasive, asserting its incapability of posting Stories, raising uncertainties about its reliability.
This incident serves as a poignant reminder that even the most advanced artificial intelligence systems are not immune to glitches. Despite their remarkable sophistication, these systems remain inherently reliant on intricate software and code, rendering them susceptible to bugs, flaws, and inherent limitations. Consequently, it’s prudent for users not to overly rely on AI for critical tasks. As society continues to integrate AI into daily life, episodes like this underscore the necessity of maintaining a balanced level of skepticism and awareness concerning the extent of AI’s capabilities.
