WhatsApp users refuse to use app after new Meta AI tool | North ...
Tech-savvy Reddit users have hit back at WhatsApp’s optional Meta AI feature that can’t be removed from the app. The Meta AI logo presents as a blue circle with pink and green tones in the bottom right of the Chats screen. By pressing on it, it opens a chatbot that is designed to answer your questions. The rollout of the Meta AI function has been added to the platform for UK users in recent weeks.
This move by WhatsApp has sparked mixed reactions among users. A spokesperson for Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, explained, “Whether you need to settle a debate in a group chat, or have a burning question you want answering on the side, you can now use Meta AI as your very own assistant through WhatsApp. Meta AI can only read messages you share with it. Your personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one outside of the chat, not even WhatsApp, can read, listen to, or share them."
Users have been given examples of how to use the Meta AI feature such as asking for recipe suggestions or restaurant recommendations in a group chat for all to see.
Users' Resistance to Meta AI
Despite Meta’s assurance that the Meta AI tool is optional and the company is open to user feedback, many users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the new feature. Some users have vocalized their desire to remove the AI tool from the app entirely.
One Reddit user stated, “I don’t want AI to be part of it, but it’s hard for me to delete WhatsApp.” Another user mentioned, “Everybody I know uses it and will never consider an alternative, but I'm not happy AI is not part of it.”
Some users have started exploring alternative messaging platforms like Signal, indicating a shift away from WhatsApp due to the integration of the Meta AI tool.
However, despite the pushback against the Meta AI tool, some users find it challenging to completely abandon WhatsApp. One user shared, “With some family members, it’s literally a matter of not being able to talk to them if we leave WhatsApp.”
Continued Updates and Features
WhatsApp continues to update its features regularly, aiming to enhance user experience. The platform promises to keep improving and adding new functionalities over time. Recent updates have introduced enhancements to group chats, events, calls, and channels, along with the ability to add music to a WhatsApp status and change chat themes.
Recommended Reading:
For more information on WhatsApp and its features, consider reading the following articles:
- WhatsApp launches privacy tool to stop users taking content off the platform
- WhatsApp to message users about protecting themselves from scams
- WhatsApp to stop working on iPhones soon - devices affected
Despite the growing discontent with the Meta AI tool, WhatsApp remains a popular messaging platform for many individuals who rely on it for communication.
