WhatsApp defends the introduction of meta AI to app credits: ShutterStock: Herigki Tu
Protests were swift as the generation AI has become a reality for WhatsApp and concerns about privacy and security have emerged.
However, to defend the new meta AI feature and reassure users, WhatsApp emphasizes that personal messages with friends and family are off limits. They also confirmed that conversations with AI provided by Meta never linked personal WhatsApp account information on Facebook, Instagram, or any other apps provided by Meta. They accept that “optional” AI tools cannot be turned off, but can simply be ignored.
What does Meta AI do on WhatsApp?
They liken the ever-present, unique meta AI logo with a blue circle with a pink and green splash to other features with persistent options such as “channel” and “status.” They say in dealing with its permanent presence, Meta AI is an optional service from Meta via WhatsApp that can help answer questions, teach them something new, and help users come up with new ideas.
Additionally, they advise that only data sent to Meta can be used to provide accurate responses and improve Meta’s AI model. For this purpose, they guarantee that chats with AI will be visually different, so it is clear that these are different from personal messages and conversations.
Still, they remind users to send a message to the meta and send information that they are happy to know. You also have the option to remove interactions with meta AI and make sure you are trained to limit the likelihood of information about people like shared names, as they appear in other chats.
WhatsApp Meta AI triggers strong responses
However, this rarely appeases users who were dissatisfied with the inability to remove AI features from the app. For example, Polly Hudson summed up his mood in a recent Guardian column. “There are five stages of sadness, but only two can discover small meta AI circles on the WhatsApp screen: fear, anger.”
Dr. Kris Shrishak, an AI and privacy advisor, was also highly critical, accused of “utilizing existing markets” and “using people as subjects in AI.”
“No one should be forced to use AI,” he told the BBC.
WhatsApp introduces advanced chat privacy to address meta AI concerns
To address these concerns, WhatsApp has announced that it will introduce a new feature, “Advanced Chat Privacy.” This new setting is available for chats and groups and is designed to prevent content from being filmed outside of WhatsApp. Activating it in individual chats allows users to be confident that others will be effectively blocked from exporting chats, auto-downloading to phones, and using AI-enabled messages.
Methods used to train meta-AI models under investigation
However, how META first trained the AI model was added to the debate over functionality. A study by the Atlantic revealed that Meta may have access to millions of pirated books and research papers, through Libgen (Library Genesis), trained Llama AI, one of the larger language models run by Meta.
If this is proven to be true, it could further undermine the trust and morally ethical behavior that the success of AI integration depends on. The need for a strong model is making rapid progress, but it cannot come at the expense of robust legal and ethical practices.
Meanwhile, the intelligence committee’s office told the BBC that it will “continue to monitor the adoption of Meta AI technology and the use of personal data within WhatsApp.”
“Personal information burns a lot of AI innovation, so people need to trust that organizations are using it responsibly,” it said.
To you: Do you care about having meta AI features on WhatsApp or are you happy to ignore it?
