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WhatsApp, used by billions worldwide, is introducing WhatsApp AI writer tool. Users will now see a small pencil icon in message drafts to change the tone of their message. This is Writing Help, a new AI tool that offers to polish and rephrase your texts with a single tap.
Initially, the AI is available only in English and in specific regions, arriving with little fanfare. For most, it will simply be an optional, opt-in feature buried in settings. But with successive updates, WhatsApp hopes to expand their Writing Help by Private Processing.
Polishes Your Words Within WhatsApp
If you’re in an eligible region and composing a message in English, you’ll see a new pencil icon appear where the sticker button used to be. A tap brings up a menu with AI-generated alternatives. Need to soften a blunt message? Choose the “supportive” option. Need to formalize a casual request? Tap “professional.” You can even sound funny if you like. After changing the tone, you can then select, refine, or ignore the suggestions.
Here’s how it works:
- You type a message and tap the pencil icon.
- The app sends an encrypted, anonymous request to Meta’s AI engine.
- The AI generates several rewritten options.
- The options are sent back to your device in real-time and vanish after delivery.
This process ensures your personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted.
Privacy Concerns for the New WhatsApp AI
Skeptics circled in on this news feature as soon as it was unveiled. Their main concern comes from the AI snooping on your conversations. WhatsApp, however, has gone to great lengths to address these fears. The feature is powered by Meta’s “Private Processing” system, a privacy-first technology that ensures your message is never stored, read, or even seen by Meta or WhatsApp.
This tool may be WhatsApp’s quiet counter-move to users who might otherwise turn to external AI tools like ChatGPT for crafting perfect replies. By integrating this capability directly, WhatsApp keeps the user experience seamless and, more importantly, secure.
