In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized social media. AI has become a driving force in the evolution of social media platforms, offering users enhanced functionality and reshaping ways to communicate, create, and connect online. Platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram have been integrating AI into their systems to improve personalization and engagement for users. With this new integration, many social media platforms around the world are reshaping how users interact, consume content, and our daily lives and interactions.
My AI
A great example of AI being integrated into social media applications is My AI, a chatbot from Snapchat. Designed as a virtual companion, My AI helps Snapchat users with tasks such as answering questions, giving recommendations based on your preferences, or even becoming a friendly companion for when you need someone to talk to. My AI also has the feature where users can personalize their own bot, which “can easily be personalized to truly make it [their] own,” according to Snapchat.
Not only is it used for personal benefit when it comes to entertainment, but its chatting feature is used for detailed explanations on any topic a user or student may need, especially when it comes to their schoolwork. My AI is used by millions of users around the world, and even students from Ayala use it to their own advantage when it is needed.
“I use Snapchat AI to answer a lot of questions that I have,” Natalia Maldonado (9) said. “It really helps with concepts that I don’t really understand in class, so I do use it pretty often.”
As beneficial and useful as this bot might appear at first glance, it is definitely not a perfect system. Only last year were there multiple reports of My AI being ‘creepy’ and ‘glitching,’ scaring many users about their privacy and safety. These reports consisted of the bot supposedly posting a story of a ceiling and wall–which is definitely not normal for a robot to perform. Snapchat came out with the claim that it was just a glitch, but it has left many users wondering what other information or glitches that the bot may be distributing among its users.
That only leads to the point that the bot should not be completely dependent on when it comes to needing information for school as it leads to the possibility of acquiring the wrong information that could only lead to a chain reaction of negative effects after that.
“I noticed that sometimes my bot gets sidetracked and talks about random things that I didn’t really want to know. But I still believe that it is useful when it comes to certain things, but definitely not everything,” Maldonado said.
Meta AI
Months after My AI was released, Instagram added a chatbot called Meta AI. Meta AI has been integrated into multiple apps under Mark Zuckerberg’s name, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Instagram has been the most prominent with its use of AI among its users compared to the other applications that Meta AI has been integrated into, and it is raised as ChatGPT’s biggest competitor. Like My AI, Meta AI’s goal is to provide its users with anything that they need, with similar abilities like generating text and visuals, answering and explaining questions and topics, and more. With easy accessibility and the many updates and improvements that are constantly being applied to the AI, it leaves a bigger, positive impression on Instagram users.
“Although I don’t use it personally, I see a lot of my friends using it and it’s definitely starting to spread everywhere,” Kaylyn Wee (9) said. “I’ve heard a lot of mixed feelings about Meta AI, but I don’t think it stops people from using it, no matter what they say.”
Just like My AI however, the bot comes with its own conflicts and issues. Obviously, it is not as powerful or great as other competitors such as ChatGPT, as it often just uses responses that you can easily search up online. There are multiple similar features that these bots share that inconvenience many users online, whether it’s through useless messages, too much or too little content, or perhaps even messages that weren’t asked for before.
“Recently, my bot recommended some things that I never even asked for,” Victoria Chen (9) said. “One time, I opened my direct messages with the bot, and it was completely filled [with messages], even though I never talked to it before.”
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Of course, AI is still improving with many talented engineers and workers every single day, but with every single improvement comes new discoveries with the bots. Though the bots have their dilemmas now, AI has still been putting a big mark on social media and our generation.
There is absolutely no doubt that AI is transforming social media platforms into more dynamic, personalized, and engaging spaces for users around the world. As AI continues to influence daily life, it is essential to strike a balance between innovation and responsibility, ensuring that these tools serve for the greater good.
