Snap Faces Potential Suspension of AI Chatbot in UK

Snap has been issued with a preliminary enforcement notice by the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over potential failure to properly assess the privacy risks posed by its generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, My AI.

The ICO’s investigation provisionally found that Snap, the parent company of popular social media platform Snapchat, failed to adequately identify and assess the risks to My AI users in the U.K., including children aged 13 to 17, the ICO said in a Friday (Oct. 6) press release.

Reached by PYMNTS, a Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the company is closely reviewing the ICO’s provisional decision.

“Like the ICO we are committed to protecting the privacy of our users,” the statement said. “In line with our standard approach to product development, My AI went through a robust legal and privacy review process before being made publicly available. We will continue to work constructively with the ICO to ensure they’re comfortable with our risk assessment procedures.”

According to the ICO’s press release, if a final enforcement notice is adopted, Snap may be required to stop processing data in connection with My AI, which would mean suspending the My AI product for U.K. users until an adequate risk assessment is conducted.

Snap introduced the My AI feature for U.K. Snapchat+ subscribers in February, and later rolled it out to its wider Snapchat user base in the U.K. in April, according to the press release. This chatbot feature, powered by OpenAI’s GPT technology, marked a significant milestone as the first example of generative AI embedded into a major messaging platform in the U.K. As of May, Snapchat had 21 million monthly active users in the U.K.

The ICO’s investigation provisionally found that the risk assessment conducted by Snap before launching My AI did not adequately assess the data protection risks, especially concerning children, the release said.

Information Commissioner John Edwards said in the release: “We have been clear that organizations must consider the risks associated with AI, alongside the benefits. Today’s preliminary enforcement notice shows we will take action in order to protect UK consumers’ privacy rights.”

When launching My AI in February, Snap said the AI-powered chatbot can help users in ways that include planning trips, suggesting recipes or recommending gift ideas. It also cautioned users that, like all AI-powered chatbots, My AI is prone to hallucination and other deficiencies.

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