Meta AI chatbot now available to some WhatsApp users, here is how it works

Meta has been developing its AI model for an extended period. With the AI race heating up, with Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI introducing new features to their AI chatbots and integrating their AI into other services, Meta has finally decided to leverage AI power in its products, including Facebook, Instagram, and even its instant messaging app WhatsApp.

During the Meta Connect 2023 event, Meta announced that it would be adding an AI chatbot to WhatsApp. The chatbot was initially available to a limited number of users in the United States. Now, according to a report by WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android includes a new shortcut button that lets users quickly access the AI chatbot without having to search through their conversation list.

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Reportedly, the new AI chatbot button is located in WhatsApp’s ‘Chats’ section and placed on top of the ‘New Chat’ button. This new feature is expected to make it easier for users to access the AI chatbot and get the help they need. The AI chatbot can be used to answer questions about WhatsApp, provide customer support, and even help users with tasks such as scheduling appointments or making reservations.

During the Meta Connect event, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta’s latest AI chatbot that leverages a combination of their latest large language model research and the powerful Llama 2 model. The chatbot is designed to assist users in various tasks, including planning trips or providing recommendations, delivering witty jokes, solving group chat debates, and serving as a knowledgeable source of information similar to ChatGPT, Bard, or Bing.

The company stated that it had collaborated with Microsoft’s Bing Chat, which enhances the chatbot’s capabilities to provide real-time web results. Similar to text-to-image generators such as MidJourney and Bing Image Creator, Meta’s AI assistant will also allow users to generate realistic-looking images from scratch using a simple ‘/imagine’ command, and all of this is available free of charge.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also introducing a new feature that will allow users to filter and view status updates in a vertical list. This improvement is being tested to simplify access to muted status updates for users who are not following any channels, eliminating the need to navigate to a separate section through the three-dot menu.

WABetaInfo, a website that monitors WhatsApp developments, reports that WhatsApp is introducing the new feature that lets users filter and view status updates in a vertical list. This feature is currently available for Android beta testers who have installed the latest version, 2.23.24.11.

Some beta testers may also see a new “See all” button that quickly displays a vertical list of their status updates. Within this section, some beta testers have access to four filters that aid in systematically categorizing their status updates. These filters showcase all status updates from their contacts, offering users a convenient means to catch up on everything their contacts have shared without missing a single update.