WhatsApp has defended its new AI feature, which the company claims is "entirely optional", despite users being unable to remove it from the app. The feature, marked by a blue circle with pink and green splashes in the bottom right of the Chats screen, opens a chatbot designed to answer questions. However, it has caused frustration among users who cannot disable it.
WhatsApp compared the feature to other permanent app functions, such as 'channels' and 'status'. The company acknowledged user feedback but emphasised that the feature was optional, like the Microsoft Recall feature, which was previously criticised for being always-on before the company allowed users to disable it.
Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, states that the feature is rolling out gradually and not all users may have access to it yet. The AI chatbot is powered by Llama 4, one of Meta's large language models and can be used across platforms like Facebook Messenger and Instagram. However, users have raised concerns, especially in Europe, where many are unhappy about the inability to turn off the feature.
Some critics, like Dr Kris Shrishak, a privacy and AI adviser, have expressed concern that Meta is "exploiting" its user base for AI testing, accusing the company of privacy violations through the use of personal data and pirated books in training its AI models.
Meta assures that personal messages on WhatsApp remain end-to-end encrypted and that the chatbot only processes messages users share with it. The company also warns users to be cautious about sharing sensitive information, as the AI could retain and use it.
