WhatsApp’s built-in AI chatbot looks like its rolling out to more people
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AI bots are rapidly being added to just about every app and platform you can think of – withmore on the way– andWhatsAppis stepping up its testing of achatbotof its own, with easier access to the feature now on the way.
Back in September, WhatsApp owner Meta announceda variety of AI upgradesthat would be coming to its products. Since then, a small number of users have been able to play around with an AI chatbot inside WhatsApp, capable of answering questions, generating text, and creating art like stickers.
Now, as spotted byWABetaInfo(viaAndroid Police), a shortcut to the AI chat functionality has been added to the conversations screen in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android. If you’re running the early beta version of the app, you may see it soon.
It also means that it shouldn’t be too long before the rest of us get the same feature, and we can see how WhatsApp’s AI helper compares against the likes ofChatGPTandGoogle Bardwhen it comes to providing useful and accurate information.
WhatsApp and AI
From what Meta has said so far, the purpose of the AI chatbot inside WhatsApp is to help with daily activities, offering advice and suggestions: how to entertain the kids at the weekend perhaps, or what to look for when upgrading a smartphone.
WhatsApp is by no means the first messaging app to give this a try – Snapchat introduced a similar featureback in February, and the chats with the AI buddy appears alongside the rest of your conversations through the app.
Such are the capabilities of generative AI now, you can really ask these bots anything you like – from relationship advice to questions about complex technical topics. The point of them being built into apps is that you’re less likely to leave the app and go somewhere else to get your AI-produced responses.
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WhatsApp continues to be one of the most regularly updated apps out there: we’ve recently seenAI-made chat stickers,newsletter tools, andfeatures to fight spammersintroduced for users of the instant messenger.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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