Meta has been continuously updating its most popular chat app, WhatsApp, with new features but it was yet to receive an AI-based update. While unveiled last year, Meta AI is now being released to select WhatsApp Beta users in India and other regions, bringing it in line with its competitors, such as Snapchat.
First spotted by Gadgets360, Meta AI briefly appeared on of the publication’s iPhones running the latest version of WhatsApp Beta, which is v2.24.714. The Meta AI Icon appeared at the top bar next to the camera icon. WABetaInfo also shared the same with screenshots and conveyed that Meta is now exploring additional entry points for different users to access Meta AI.
After installing the latest updates of WhatsApp for iOS from the App Store and WhatsApp for Android from the Google Play Store, certain users may be able to access Mera AI either through the top bar icon or through the search bar. Once you tap on the search bar or when you open the Meta AI chat, you will be shown various prompts to initiate a conversation with the chatbot. Users can also ask the AI about various information, such as the current weather conditions at their location and more.
As it is a limited rollout, not all WhatsApp Beta users may have received the update at the moment. Users may get access to it over the course of next few weeks or months.
Meta AI is Meta’s conversational assistant based on Llama 2 and the company’s latest large language model (LLM) research. In text-based chats, Meta AI has access to real-time information through Meta’s search partnership with Bing and offers a tool for image generation.
Along with Meta AI, there are 28 more AIs that you can message on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. “You can think of these AIs as a new cast of characters – all with unique backstories”, said Meta. The company says that it has partnered with cultural icons and influencers to play and embody some of these AIs.