Some iOS users get access to WhatsApp’s AI assistant

AI is proliferating in each and every sector of the tech industry at a rapid pace. All three big tech giants—Apple, Google, and Samsung—are working to introduce AI features to their services, products, and devices. Meta, the owner of social media platforms Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, is not behind this race. One such feature is Meta AI, an AI-powered assistant that users can communicate with and ask questions of on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

The AI assistant on WhatsApp can answer queries

The AI features will be rolled out in gradual phases. Just recently, the company debuted the AI assistant on the Android version of the WhatsApp beta app. It is now ready to be rolled out to iOS version 23.24.10.71 of the app. It accompanies a shortcut to the assistant in the Chats tab.

Similar to other virtual assistants, Meta AI will enable real-time conversations. It can give answers to your questions in real-time using Microsoft’s Bing search engine and make automatic recommendations for topics you could be discussing in a chat. One such example is in a group chat where the assistant can help members by suggesting a restaurant or picnic spot. The company is working on several AI characters. These characters will be accompanied by different backgrounds, opinions, personalities, and interests. Notably, the characters will be available on other Meta platforms as well.

Currently, the Meta AI is only accessible in the US. There are no details on when it will be introduced in other regions. Furthermore, the new feature is not accessible to all users rather it is limited to a few beta testers of the app. Perhaps there will be a wider rollout in the near future but exactly when there is no information about it.