Snapchat, the social media platform, has announced that it is launching new features, including improved security measures around its AI Chatbot. The AI chatbot had come under scrutiny from The Washington Post, which criticized it for providing unsafe and inappropriate responses.

In response to this criticism, Snap has added new safety tools to ensure better responses from the chatbot. The company has discovered that users were attempting to manipulate the chatbot into giving responses that do not adhere to its guidelines. The new safety features aim to prevent this from happening.

One of the new features introduced is the age filter, which enables the chatbot to respond appropriately according to users’ birth dates. Snap has also unveiled plans to offer parents and guardians more insights into children’s interactions with the chatbot through its Family Center, launched last year.

Snapchat has clarified in a blog post that the AI chatbot is not a “real friend” and relies on conversation history to improve its responses. According to the platform, only 0.01% of responses from the bot were in non-conforming language, including references to violence, sexual content, drug use, child sexual abuse, bullying, hate speech, derogatory statements, racism, misogyny, or marginalization of underrepresented groups.

In order to prevent misuse of the AI chatbot, Snap has temporarily blocked access for users who violate the company’s guidelines. The company plans to use the data collected from these incidents to improve the AI chatbot’s responses. Additionally, it will be using OpenAI’s moderation technology to assess the severity of potentially harmful content and restrict access to the chatbot for users who misuse the service.

Conclusion

Snapchat’s decision to add more security measures around its AI chatbot is a step in the right direction. With the new age filter and increased insights for parents and guardians, the company is showing that it takes the safety of its users seriously. By using OpenAI’s moderation technology, Snap can better assess the severity of harmful content and take appropriate action to restrict access to the chatbot. Ultimately, this move will help to ensure that Snapchat remains a safe and enjoyable platform for all its users.