WhatsApp to get major AI update in the UK and you can’t turn it off

• Meta AI is being rolled out in the UK and Europe.
• Features are being added to WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.
• But can you turn it off?

Until recently, the two little letters AI was reserved solely as a plot device in a science fiction book or as a villain in Hollywood movies. But increasingly it has become something that has been foisted into nearly every aspect of our lives in the 2020s.

Artificial intelligence is the technology du jour so far this decade - and if you’ve looked at buying a washing machine recently you may have noticed it has even been integrated into that. But perhaps the most recognisable implementation of AI is the chatbot.

From ChatGPT to Apple Intelligence, we’ve all probably dabbled with one or another in the last couple of years. In fact you may have come to be a regular user of a chatbot in your daily life.

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Not to be left behind Meta - the owners of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram - has been developing its own AI features. However for users in the UK and Europe its launch had been held back - until now at least.

Meta AI rolls out on WhatsApp and Messenger

Launching across the pond in 2023, Meta AI initially paused its roll out in the UK and Europe after Ireland’s privacy watchdog asked it to delay training on content posted by Facebook and Instagram users, The Verge reported. But it is starting to arrive on our devices this month.

You may have noticed a new blue ringed symbol has appeared on your Messenger and WhatsApp apps all of a sudden. This is Meta AI and you can chat with it as well as ask it to generate images - for example on Messenger I was prompted to ask ‘imagine a comic villain’ and it conjured up a creation.

Meta has started to roll it out across all of its apps - from WhatsApp to Facebook, Instagram and Messenger - so keep your eyes peeled.

It will appear on the Chats tab on your WhatsApp, once it has been fully rolled out.

Can you turn off Meta AI on WhatsApp?

If you don’t fancy having the AI prompts appearing on your apps, you might be wondering if it is possible to turn it off. Unfortunately there is no way to fully turn off the Meta AI functions, you can toggle the settings so the little blue circle doesn’t appear - but it will still be active in the background.

Have you seen the AI function on WhatsApp yet? Let me know your thoughts by email: [email protected].