Holding Snapchat My AI accountable for mental harm
Case Overview
About the My AI Legal Investigation
There are growing concerns that AI companion chatbots, like Snapchat’s My AI, present significant risks to children and teens. Gibbs Mura is investigating claims that My AI has features designed to exploit young users and may expose children to inappropriate and potentially harmful interactions.
My AI is an artificial intelligence (AI) companion chatbot integrated into Snapchat’s interface. Snapchat advertises My AI to users as young as 13 as a “experimental, friendly, chatbot” they can turn to for advice, share photos with, and interact with at any time. The AI chatbot is used by more than 900 million users each month.
It is difficult to use Snapchat without encountering My AI. When Snapchat users open their contact feed to see photos and messages from their friends, the chatbot is automatically pinned to the top of the page. My AI remains on users’ feeds by default unless they actively unpin the chatbot.
Is Snapchat’s My AI harmful for adolescent users?
In September 2025, the Federal Trade Commission launched an inquiry into AI companion chatbots, including My AI, to understand their potential risks to children and teenagers. Researchers have found that AI chatbots exploit teen users’ emotional needs, leading to inappropriate and harmful interactions.
Parents should be aware of potential risks of Snapchat’s My AI, including:
Addiction & Dependency
Grooming & Sexual Exploitation
Mental Health Harm
How does Snapchat’s My AI target children and teens?
My AI is designed to maximize the time users spend on Snapchat. Its integration within Snapchat’s platform makes the chatbot readily accessible to young users. By placing the chatbot as the first contact alongside friends, Snapchat eliminates the need for users to actively seek out the chatbot—and may make it easier for children to converse with the chatbot than with their real-life friends. This constant accessibility may be particularly harmful for children who struggle with unhealthy dependency and parasocial relationships.
Snapchat users can also easily customize the My AI chatbot by changing its profile picture, name, and avatar—making the chatbot resemble a real person. Users who have purchased Snapchat+ are even able to customize My AI’s personality and influence its conversation style, as well as exchange images with the chatbot. These features may be particularly enticing for children seeking companionship and can foster unhealthy emotional attachments to the chatbot.
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Steve litigates a wide range of complex cases, from environmental mass torts to consumer class actions. He has secured over $1 billion for his clients.
Amelia plays a crucial role on case teams representing survivors of sexual assault and parents whose children have suffered from social media addiction.
Gibbs Mura, A Law Group is trailblazing the fight to hold social media and tech companies accountable for the harm they cause. Our lawyers represent 500+ families whose children were harmed by social media companies and continue to closely monitor the rising risks of AI Chatbots.
Steve litigates a wide range of complex cases, from environmental mass torts to consumer class actions. He has secured over $1 billion for his clients.
Amelia plays a crucial role on case teams representing survivors of sexual assault and parents whose children have suffered from social media addiction.
