Snapchat AI Bot

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Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday that Meta now has a team that is dedicated to building tools powered by artificial intelligence. They're also experimenting with using AI for things like creative Instagram filters as well as video and multimodal experiences. On one level, these chat bots are interesting because they will say interesting things. But I really do worry. Social media is already such a minefield for teenagers who are self-conscious or depressed or lonely. And I just don't know what it looks like if you just all of a sudden show up with an AI chat bot that can be everything to everyone.

Snapchat launches a chatbot. Meta plans to “turbocharge” its A.I. work. Elon Musk explores “BasedAI.” At this point, who isn’t making an A.I. play?

Plus: Is crypto finally dead? Also, a new TikTok filter is making people terrifyingly hot.

On today’s episode:

David Yaffe-Bellany, a cryptocurrency and financial technology reporter for The New York Times.

Hard Fork listeners! We want to hear from you. How is A.I. showing up in your everyday life? In your job, school and families? What are you using it for? Email us a voice memo at hardfork@nytimes.com.

Additional reading:

Snapchat launched “My AI” to paid subscribers.
Mark Zuckerberg announced a high-level group to “turbocharge” Meta’s work with generative A.I.
Meta AI released LLaMA to researchers.
The science fiction and fantasy magazine “Clarkesworld” was flooded with chatbot-generated submissions. The writing is “bad in spectacular ways,” its editor said.
Elon Musk is considering starting his own A.I. company.
An FTX co-founder pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors investigating Sam Bankman-Fried.
A “flurry” of fines, lawsuits and policy statements are spooking crypto executives.
Gary Gensler, the chair of the S.E.C., said that in crypto “everything other than Bitcoin” should be treated as a security.
Some TikTok users are worried by how realistic its new filters can seem.