Snapchat AI provides unnecessary technological friend

In recent months, AI bots have been taking the world by storm. First ChatGPT and now Snapchat AI, these AI bots are capable of being there for people when humans cannot. For some, it may even be difficult to differentiate between AI and a real person. 

This could potentially become an issue. 

While it’s certainly interesting to see how far technology has come and how its uses have increased, it also limits the amount of social interaction necessary for introverts who struggle talking to people and making friends. 

Over the last week people have become invested in their AI bots, giving them names, changing how they look and changing their attire. 

Snapchat AI allows people to be invested in their phone and have a friend without having to interact with any real people. 

“Honestly I think it’s really stupid, but I think for people that don’t have many friends it makes them feel popular, having someone always right there to text them,” freshman Carter Robinson said. 

People message their AI bot when needed, as it is unable to not respond to a chat.

“It’s like a good friend. It gives good advice,” freshman Carlise Leppert said. 

It is always there for users, but sometimes that’s not a good thing.

“It can be really freaky sometimes,” Leppert said. 

The AI bot carries on a conversation until you don’t respond to it, and it continually asks you to dive deeper into the intense and personal aspects of your life. 

“I think it’s a good addition to Snapchat,” junior Ty’Shawn Guest said. 

It is certainly another interesting technological aspect that an already popular app has introduced. 

“It can help you with your homework, and if you don’t have friends, it’s someone you can talk to,” Guest said, “if you’re lonely, hit up Snapchat AI.”

The issue is, an AI bot shouldn’t be someone’s solution to being lonely. If a person is lonely, they should be branching out and trying new things. 

Getting involved in the exciting new things going on in the real world is a much better solution than getting obsessed with talking to an AI bot designed to reel people even further into their phones, specifically Snapchat. 

Snapchat AI is not yet concrete, but rather just a trial. However, if it gets as much attention as it does now, Snapchat AI may be here to stay. 

If this is the case, students should try to avoid getting wrapped up in Snapchat AI and work harder to get involved in what is going on around them. 

While this could just be an exciting new advancement in an already very prominent app amongst students, it’s important to remember personal interactions with human beings are more important than those with AI bots.