Snapchat's emergence of Snap AI chatbot raises concerns over potential privacy risks for children.

Snapchat's AI chatbot, My AI, has come under fire from the UK's data watchdog for failing to assess the privacy risks it poses to users, especially children. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has warned that it could shut down the feature in the UK after conducting a preliminary investigation. Snapchat's parent company, Snap, has stated that it is closely reviewing the findings. My AI allows users to interact with a computer that mimics human conversation, using an online AI tool called ChatGPT. The ICO expressed concerns about the potential privacy risks for users between the ages of 13 and 17. Snap has promised to work constructively with the ICO, emphasizing that it carried out a thorough legal and privacy review before launching the feature. The ICO stressed that its findings are not final and no breach of data protection laws has been concluded. However, the regulator's notice signals to Snap the need to ensure that My AI complies with data protection rules, including the Children's Design Code. The ICO has the authority to issue fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of Snap's annual worldwide turnover in cases of serious breaches.