Meta’s WhatsApp Introduces AI-Enhanced Image Editor and Chatbot: A Sneak Peek into the Features

WhatsApp users can finally try Meta’s AI-powered features starting this week in select countries. The messaging app has been testing the Meta AI chatbot with people in markets like India, but now, Meta has confirmed that WhatsApp can leverage the power of AI and its new tools that give the platform another dimension.

WhatsApp is powered by a new Meta AI chatbot built with the Llama 3 AI model by the company, which was announced this week. “You can use Meta AI on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger to learn, create and connect with the things that matter to you,” Meta said in its post here. The company claims that the new model of Llama is smarter, faster and more fun but also gives you features like an AI image generator, answers to your questions and more on your mobile device.

Meta AI is coming to more countries outside the US starting this week such as Australia, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Interestingly, India is not part of the first roster from Meta, even though many people in the region have accessed the Meta AI chatbot on WhatsApp and talked about its purpose, use cases and effectiveness.

The fact that Meta created an AI model meant that it was obvious that WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook would get AI goodness. WhatsApp users will especially look forward to the AI evolution that gives them all the popular features in one app. Want to create an image using a text prompt, Meta AI will do it. Need a recipe for your favorite cuisine? Meta AI will get it for you. Or even do a simple search for content you’re curious about. India caters to more than 400 million WhatsApp users, and it’s likely that Meta feels it wants to polish and tweak the AI model so that it becomes a trusted tool for millions of people in the coming years. Having said that, Meta is Facebook’s parent company which doesn’t have a good track record with data and AI brings old wounds back into the equation, so we hope the company handles AI rules better.