Snapchat’s recent rollout of the My AI chatbot feature has been met with widespread criticism from its user base. The feature was launched just last week globally, after initially being exclusive to Snapchat+ subscribers. However, the app has seen an influx of negative reviews and social media complaints since the feature became available to all users. My AI uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to answer user questions instantly.
According to app intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Snapchat’s average U.S. App Store review plummeted to 1.67 over the past week, with 75% of reviews being one-star. In comparison, during Q1 2023, the app’s average rating was 3.05, with only 35% of reviews being one-star. Additionally, the number of daily reviews has increased five-fold in the past week.
Reportedly, Snapchat users have expressed frustration with the My AI feature, primarily due to its unremovable placement at the top of the chat feed. Users have no control over the chatbot’s position in the app, as it cannot be unpinned, blocked, or removed. This lack of control has contributed to the negative response, with users feeling that their privacy is being invaded.
Only Snapchat+ subscribers can unpin or remove My AI from their chat feed while free users cannot, this further fueled the outrage. Many users believe that the company is prioritizing paying subscribers over free users, leading to a sense of unfair treatment.
Moreover, users are concerned about the extent of personal data collection revealed by the AI chatbot, as it appears to know their location even when they are not sharing it on the Snap Map, according to some users who have shared their experience on social media. A user on Twitter shared screenshots of his conversation with the chatbot, showing how it even has access to the user’s location.
Snapchat has not yet responded to the backlash, leaving users unsure whether the company will make adjustments to the My AI feature based on user feedback or continue to ignore the complaints. For now, users are left with no choice but to deal with the intrusive chatbot as it remains pinned to the top of their app interface.
