WhatsApp’s AI Assistant To Help Make Your Travel Plans, Generate Stickers And More
Chatbots have been the biggest beneficiary of the global generative AI boom.
Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT arrived on the scene, every other software giant has been determined to make their chatbots smarter and easier to use. Google’s Bard is currently one of the most capable ones, considering it has a vast bank of Google Search data to feed on. Similarly, Elon Musk’s X has also stepped into the game with Grok, using the vast data reservoir of X to provide relevant solutions.
Obviously, it would be foolish for Meta, the creator of Facebook, to just sit and take notice. As such, in September 2023, Mark Zuckerberg announced its Meta AI chatbot to be embedded in its social media platforms, including WhatsApp. Now, the earliest signs of activity in this regard have already been spotted.
The latest beta version of WhatsApp has received the earliest implementation of the Meta AI chatbot, promising to elevate the user experience to the next level. Available to a select number of beta testers on Android, Meta is yet to make any formal announcements as to when the rest of us could experience its take on these glorified chatbots.
However, we can’t wait to try it out since, like most of you, we too are excited about all things AI and have been longing to see a capable chatbot in WhatsApp. So, without further ado, let us take a quick look at all the possibilities this WhatsApp AI bot can potentially bring to the table.
WhatsApp beta gets an AI assistant
When it was showcased earlier at the Meta Connect 2023 event, it was confirmed that the Meta AI chatbot would be coming to WhatsApp and Instagram.
With the latest beta version of WhatsApp, Meta is now holding true to its word and trying to bring its AI chatbot to the public as soon as possible. As reported by WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.24.26 has introduced a shortcut to access WhatsApp’s AI assistant directly from the chat window.
You will be able to identify this shortcut icon by its peculiar blue halo. Finding it is easy too, since it sits prominently above the ‘New Chats’ shortcut. This shortcut is also said to be available in the contacts list.
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A dedicated shortcut key on the home screen is expected to pull the attention of millions of WhatsApp users to Meta’s new AI chatbot. More importantly, it will reduce your reliance on Google Search to look for basic information. Meta’s bot bases its responses on Microsoft Bing’s massive data bank which, as it turns out, is also used by the Bing AI bot.
📝 WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.24.26: what’s new?
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that adds a shortcut to open AI-powered chats from the Chats tab, and it’s available to some beta testers!https://t.co/IRFAys10LJ pic.twitter.com/b1cPPcaif7
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) November 17, 2023
Meta’s WhatsApp AI bot makes big promises to millions of users who swear by its social media platform on a daily basis. Once released to the public, the chatbot will let you look for basic information such as details of places while planning trips or finding special restaurants in your vicinity before going on a date. The bot will also be useful for quick fact-checking that won’t require you to leave the confines of the app.
What else will WhatsApp’s AI bot be able to do?
Additionally, you’ll be able to have casual conversations with the chatbot and Meta says it will be friendlier than ChatGPT.
Other than text-based queries and conversations, the WhatsApp AI assistant will also be able to generate images. Using the keyword ‘@MetaAI/imagine’ followed by a verbal description of the desired image, you can create custom stickers and images to send in your chats. Hence, you may not need to hunt for new sticker packs to liven up your WhatsApp conversations.
When will the WhatsApp AI bot be available to the public?
At the moment, the Meta AI chatbot for WhatsApp is only accessible to a select number of beta testers on Android. It could take a few more months before Meta irons out the bugs and deems it fit for a public release on both Android and iOS.
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Dima Solomin via Unsplash)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How to access WhatsApp’s Meta AI chatbot?
WhatsApp’s Meta AI chatbot is still under beta testing for Android users and could take a couple of months before being broadly released to the public.
