Of all the generative AI assistants, Meta AI has to be the most annoying for the simple fact that Meta shoves it down our throats. No app is safe, from Facebook to Messenger to WhatsApp and Instagram. Meta AI is there whether you like it or not, and there’s no way to turn it off.
Meanwhile, ChatGPT is entirely optional, although OpenAI can’t really force it on anyone. Apple’s Apple Intelligence is also optional; you don’t have to use it even if you have access to it. Then there’s Google Gemini, which is integrated into many Google products but doesn’t seem as intrusive as Meta AI. The same goes for Microsoft Copilot.
The worst thing about Meta AI is that Meta has continued to ruin its applications by exaggerating the presence of AI. We just learned about the arrival of AI profiles on Facebook and Instagram, which is extremely annoying. It’s even worse; Meta will now give AI bots privileged plans in WhatsApp, a feature that no one really asked for from the only Meta app that’s actually useful.
WhatsApp is the world’s largest chat app. It works on iPhone and Android and supports end-to-end encryption on all platforms. That’s the only reason I still use it. That, and the fact that Meta gave in to its annoying WhatsApp policy change a few years ago.
Come to think of it, the only reason WhatsApp is so good and still encrypted is because the app was built that way long before Meta bought it for a small fortune.
The last thing I want in WhatsApp is support for AI chatbots. Yes, it’s nice to be able to register a ChatGPT number to chat with WhatsApp’s chatbot, but it’s optional.
Let’s say Meta feels like it needs to install AI bots in WhatsApp to expose more people to Meta AI and potentially make money in the process. I still hate the idea of WhatsApp having a dedicated AI menu. This is a waste of screen space. This is a feature I will never use and I’m sure others won’t be interested either.
Meta is testing the new interface in an Android beta version of WhatsApp. Always reliable WABetaInfo brought up the image above which shows the new AI tab replacing the Communities tab. This menu, which could really be useful, merges with the Chats tab.
The new AI tab will feature all kinds of AI chatbots to talk to, including third-party models that can talk to you about specific topics.
I have no doubt that some WhatsApp users will want to use these services. I say this as a long-time ChatGPT user who chats with OpenAI’s chatbot daily about all sorts of things. But I absolutely hate the idea of an AI product being forced on me like Meta is doing with Meta AI.
WhatsApp is particularly important to me because I use it to talk to many people. It’s not just Android users in my family or friends group who love WhatsApp; many iPhone owners prefer the platform to iMessage. AI is not necessary. Or if it is, it must be hidden somewhere and accessible on demand.
It could be even worse than that. WABetaInfo found evidence in another beta version of WhatsApp that Meta wants to allow users to create personalized AI chatbots directly within the app. The process could be similar to what is already available on Instagram.
The feature is similar to the custom chatbots available in ChatGPT and Gemini, so it’s not entirely surprising. But, again, this is not something I want to clutter up a key app like WhatsApp.
I don’t see any point in adding AI bots to WhatsApp or supporting the creation of custom bots.
Remember that if left unchecked, some custom AI chatbots can be dangerous, especially when certain types of users are exposed to them. And it’s not like Meta is improving its content moderation policies, so we have no idea how it will control this AI universe it’s bringing to apps like WhatsApp and Instagram.
I can only hope that Meta won’t push these features out of beta, but that’s just wishful thinking. If anything, I’m comforted to know that it will take more time for Meta to roll out the AI changes to WhatsApp in Europe.
