Student on the Street: How do you feel about the new Snapchat AI chatbot feature?

In late April, Snapchat users were greeted by an AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT pinned above their most recent conversations on the app. Here’s what Oregon State University students have to say about the feature a few weeks after its release to all users on the platform.

1. Addison Jennings (she/they), fourth-year botany major

“I think it’s kind of weird, and I do find it interesting how it just showed up … It wasn’t really a feature that was introduced, it was just kind of there one day. 

“I feel like AI, in general, is a really powerful tool, but also can maybe be dangerous.”

2. Sarah Magnuson (she/her), first-year biology major 

“I had mine name itself Luna, but then it immediately forgot its name. I asked, ‘If you could pick a name, what would you name yourself?’”

“If I had nothing to do, I’d customize it. Give it personality.”

3. Zach Etterson (he/him), first-year computer science major

“The only time I’ve ever interacted with it is when people try and make it say funny things, you know? Like the Tiktoks of people trying to make it say something funny or make it sentient or something like that … I haven’t used it personally yet … I don’t use Snapchat enough for it to really affect me.”

4. Nicholas Devlin (he/him), third-year mechanical engineering major

“I just ask it random questions to see what it would answer, but … it doesn’t remember what you said in the past, so it doesn’t like try to know you.”

“The only reason I did it was because it was at the top and I tried to find a way to take it off … The green face with the brown hair, it doesn’t match, it doesn’t look good, and I don’t like it at the top.” 

5. Om Patel (he/him), second-year computer science major

“It’s pretty cool. I mean, I like it. I don’t really use it much, but I did dress it up and named it the ‘Love of My Life.’ I don’t really use it much though though, much, because it’s like talking to a robot. I’d rather go talk to a regular human … That shit’s annoying, just sitting at the top.”

6. Dave Marshall (he/him), first-year zoology major

“I’m not a fan of it. I was able to clear it from my chat feed before they removed that feature, so I don’t have to see it anymore, but I just don’t like that you have to pay for Snapchat+ to get rid of it. I think that’s really suspicious. I’m not being super conspiracy-theorist about it, but why would they make us pay to get rid of it?”

“I specifically chose not to [have a conversation with the chatbot]. I was like, I’m not going to interact with it anyway, I’m not going to give it any information. I’ve seen all kinds of reels and TikToks about it, it’ll lie to you and stuff.”

“My friend didn’t tell it where he lived, and it was like ‘Oh, you got any cool places around Corvallis?’ That freaked me out a little bit.”

7. Brigitte Chenevert (she/her), second-year marketing major and music minor

“I have yet to open the chat. (I) actually just gave a debate in one of the blueprint classes I’m a TA for, and we debated pros and cons of AI in learning. I think there is a lot of value to be had in learning how to use AI in a beneficial, educational sense, but it’s not super reliable. And I don’t know how Snapchat regulates its usage. I definitely see those stories about, ‘Oh, it can’t read what you send it,’ but then it will make comments on the pictures that you send. So I definitely have a healthy fear of AI, but it’s an interesting feature.” 

“Maybe it’s how (Snapchat) market(s) it, because I think, right now, it’s just like there’s a weird helper that I can’t get to leave the top of my Snapchat list.” 

8. Elyza Greene (she/her), second-year zoology major

“I don’t really use it, but sometimes it’s fun to see what answers it comes up with, but it’s not something I frequently use. And I think it’s a little weird that it knows your location, and that it can be like ‘here’s things in your area that are cool to do.’ I don’t like that.”

“I just had a (conversation with the chatbot) the other day …” 

“I was like, ‘Why are you hurting me, AI? This is hurting me.’” 

“And it was like, ‘What do you mean?’”

“And I said, ‘Why did you just shoot me?’ 

And it was like, ‘I did not just shoot you.’ 

And I then said, ‘I have video evidence.’ 

And it said, ‘If you have video evidence of me shooting you with an AR-15, please contact your local law enforcement immediately. As a virtual friend that lives inside Snapchat, I don’t have the ability to shoot anyone or anything. I’m here to help you and support you; if there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.’”

“It’s kind of annoying that it’s pinned up on the top of my screen. I mean, maybe I would still talk to it for fun, but I don’t think that I need it at the top of my screen.”

9. Josiah Bartell (he/they), second-year design and innovation management

“It’s definitely a cool feature. I’ve seen the way people play with it, and it’s very versatile. However, I do find it annoying that I can’t get rid of it personally, because I don’t use it, and it’s just pinned at the top of my conversation.”

“I have enough people I talk to normally anyways. I’ve not seen it as like a tool I’ve needed to use. I don’t use AI for a lot of things, just because I haven’t felt the need to yet. I’m sure I would at some point.”

10. Sofia Vazquez (she/her), second-year fish and wildlife conservation major

“I feel like, personally, I wouldn’t really use it. It just seems too extra. I’m like, that’s what I have real people for. I’d rather get a random number from the street and just start a conversation like that, you know?”

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When asked if they would buy Snapchat+ to be able to unpin or remove the chatbot, everyone laughed and said no.