WhatsApp Integrates Meta AI On IPhone In The UK Despite Controversy

Meta AI boasts 500 million monthly active users across Meta platforms such as Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp – (Meta)

Recently, WhatsApp quietly rolled out a new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot on iPhones in the UK, despite users expressing their preference for messaging friends rather than interacting with automated services. This addition arrives just weeks after the Meta AI debuted on Android devices in the UK and Europe, bringing back frustrations that have been brewing since its initial launch on Meta’s other apps last year.

Frustrated users have taken to various social media platforms to voice their concerns. Some are unhappy that they have no option to remove the chatbot, while others are wary of how their data may be utilized to enhance the AI. A number of users have threatened to switch to alternative messaging apps like Signal or Telegram if WhatsApp does not reconsider this update. This backlash has prompted attention in Brussels as an EU lawmaker has raised issues regarding the chatbot’s implications for user control and digital safety.

With the AI feature now available on iOS, millions more users will experience this integration firsthand.

How to Use Meta AI on WhatsApp for iPhone

The Meta AI button is positioned at the bottom of the chats tab, just above settings. (Saqib Shah)

With the latest update on iPhones, users will notice a new Meta AI button featuring a bluish-purple logo located on the chats tab, which serves as the app’s homepage.

Clicking this button allows users to interact with the chatbot, which functions similarly to ChatGPT, albeit without some of the advanced capabilities like generating images or videos. Users can ask for suggestions on TV shows, seek help with work emails, or request travel advice for upcoming vacations.

WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, also encourages users to involve the AI in group conversations by typing @MetaAI. Additionally, users can find it via the search bar, which offers suggestions for potential inquiries.

Users can search using Meta AI within the messaging app. (Saqib Shah)

Can You Disable Meta AI on WhatsApp?

If you’re not interested in having AI within your WhatsApp experience, there is unfortunately no option to disable or remove the chatbot. Despite some believing there are settings available to turn it off, those claims are inaccurate.

Some users have suggested switching to WhatsApp for Business (a version of WhatsApp tailored for business users) to avoid the chatbot, but this alternative may not suit every user’s needs.

WhatsApp states that it isn’t imposing the bot on users and claims that overall feedback regarding Meta AI has been largely positive. Furthermore, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has indicated that Meta AI is on a trajectory to become a leading force in artificial intelligence, as it continues to attract a substantial user base of nearly 500 million.

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