KANALCOIN NEWS – The UK data watchdog issued a warning to Snapchat regarding its “My AI” AI chatbot for potentially failing to identify and address its privacy risks. This happened on October 6, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued a preliminary notice to Snap Inc.
This poses a risk to Snap Group, Snapchat’s parent company, potentially failing to “properly assess the privacy risks” posed by chatbots.
This statement is in accordance with a temporary investigation into the company carried out by the supervisory agency. The investigation said the risks to several million My AI users, including children aged 13-17, were not adequately identified before its launch.
As is known, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intelligence that is added to a system that is organized in a scientific context. Or often referred to as scientific entity intelligence.
John Edwards, Britain’s information commissioner, attempted to comment on the statement.
“We’ve been clear that organizations must consider the risks associated with AI, as well as the benefits. Today’s initial enforcement notice shows we will take action to protect the privacy rights of UK consumers.” John Edward explained.
Pursuant to the notice, if a final enforcement notice is issued, Snap must cease processing data with respect to My AI. This will also discourage offering services to UK-based users without adequate risk assessment. And now the ICO says no conclusions should be drawn from the current stage of the investigation.
As is known, the first Snapchat AI chatbot was released for Snapchat+ users in the UK in February 2023. However, wider availability will begin in April 2023.
My AI is supported by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology. According to the data watchdog this is the first example of generative AI embedded in a major messaging platform in the UK.
In a statement to Cointelegraph, a Snap spokesperson said that the company carefully reviewed the ICO’s interim notice and said that the company was committed to protecting user privacy.
“My AI has gone through a rigorous legal and privacy review process before being published. We will continue to work constructively with the ICO to ensure they are comfortable with our risk assessment procedures.” explained the spokesperson.
On October 4, Microsoft’s business-focused social media platform LinkedIn announced additional AI tools available to recruiters, as well as an AI assistant in its learning center. And throughout the years, major social media platforms have integrated AI features into their operations.
Big Tech giants Google and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, also revealed integration of AI chatbots into their service offerings.
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