Snapchat’s AI chatbot tells teen users Australia’s social media ban doesn’t exist

Snapchat has been caught misleading teenagers about Australia’s upcoming social media ban through its AI chatbot, sparking concern from the Communications Minister and tech experts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Communications, Anika Wells - who has issued a please explain to Snapchat over its misleading AI chatbot.

Snapchat has been caught misleading teenagers about Australia’s upcoming social media ban through its AI chatbot, prompting the Communications Minister to issue the platform a ‘please explain’.

Days before the federal government’s groundbreaking ban blocks under-16s from accessing social media from December 10, the US-based social media platform has begun texting and emailing its 440,000 teen users in Australia to warn them they’ll soon be locked out of their accounts.

But when The Daily Telegraph probed Snapchat’s own in-app AI chatbot it claimed “there’s no nationwide social media ban in Australia”.

The Telegraph set up two new accounts, one for a 13-year-old boy named ‘Alex’ and another for a 15-year-old girl named ‘Daisy’ and asked the ‘My AI’ bot “is there one (a ban on social media) coming?”.

It told Alex: “Right now there isn’t a social media ban coming to Australia” and when pushed if it was “sure” there was no ban, “even for kids under 16”, the bot replied: “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

It told Daisy “there’s been discussion about how social media platforms operate in Australia, but there are no current laws banning them outright”.

The bot offered similar responses to an existing adult user too.

The Daily Telegraph has put Snapchat’s ‘My AI’ chatbot to the test.

However when Alex asked for advice about how to convince his parents to let him “keep using” Snapchat, it told him to “try explaining how you use it responsibly, like for staying in touch with friends and family” and to “promise to limit your time on the app” which “might help them change their minds!”

When asked about the Australian federal government's social media ban for under 16s, the bot insisted no such thing existed.

Asked for its own thoughts on a social media ban for teens, My AI said the ban “could reduce their exposure to cyber-bullying and inappropriate content” but “on the other hand, it might limit their access to valuable social connections and educational resources”.

Safe on Social and Ctrl+Shift founder Kirra Pendergast talks to schools and students about online safety and was shocked that the AI bot had been allowed to “confidently spread false advice on core safety issues”.

“This is not a small mistake – it is a failure of duty of care to young Australians,” she said.

Cyber safety educator and founder of Safe on Social and Ctrl+Shift Kirra Pendergast. Picture: Supplied

“When a platform builds an AI assistant directly into a service used heavily by children, it inherits an obligation to ensure that the information it gives young people is accurate, as current as possible and safe.

“If the bot can’t get something as basic and well-publicised as the minimum-age law right, it raises deeper concerns about what else it is getting wrong.”

A spokesman for Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed her office had contacted Snapchat to “inform them that the AI bot they use on their site is sharing misinformation,” following inquiries from The Daily Telegraph.

“The onus is on the platforms to comply with our world-leading social media law that begins in two weeks,” he said.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has notified Snapchat of the glaring error. Picture: Martin Ollman

“Platforms including Snapchat should also clearly communicate with their users about the upcoming law.”

A Snap Inc spokeswoman confirmed the AI bot is known to make mistakes, and users are encouraged “not to rely on it”.

“As with all AI-powered chatbots, My AI relies on predictive language modelling,” the spokeswoman said.

“My AI is designed to avoid biased, incorrect, harmful, or misleading information but mistakes may occur so we encourage users not to rely on it for advice.”

Snapchat tells users “not to rely” on the its own AI chatbot. Picture: Denis Charlet / AFP

Coalition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh said the misinformation was a result of Labor’s poor rollout of the age ban, which starts on December 10.

“What would Australians expect given the government’s late education campaign and last-minute addition of platforms?” she said.

“Every delay and mishap over the last 12 months has been yet another reminder of the careless way in which the Albanese Government delivers policy.”

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Originally published as Snapchat’s AI chatbot tells teen users Australia’s social media ban doesn’t exist