WhatsApp Users Push Back Against Meta AI: What We Know

WhatsApp users have expressed outrage over a new artificial intelligence highlighting that it is 'useless and annoying'.

Meta Artificial Intelligence was initially incorporated into WhatsApp In 2023, it was promoted as an effective chatbot capable of 'answering queries, imparting knowledge, or assisting in generating novel concepts'.

However, this feature has faced criticism because users do not have the choice to remove the chatbot. One person expressed feeling trapped in an undesirable situation similar to "being unable to decline a poor blind date."

Here’s all you need to understand regarding the Meta AI feature within WhatsApp – along with how you might opt out of it.

What is Meta AI in WhatsApp?

Meta launched the Meta AI be featured in both the US and Canada in 2023.

Since then, it has been incorporated into Meta’s messaging and social media ecosystems such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook within regions like Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India.

In the UK, Meta AI was first added to the Facebook The Messenger mobile application in October 2024.

It is currently being rolled out for WhatsApp, but not all users have had the feature integrated into their app yet.

When available, Meta AI appears as a glowing blue circle in WhatsApp and allows users ask a chatbot questions in their chats and groups.

Users interact with Meta AI by tapping the blue circle or typing @Meta AI, followed by a question.

What has caused the backlash against Meta AI?

The WhatsApp chatbot caused anger when users discovered they couldn't opt out of using it or remove it from the application.

Numerous individuals have turned to social media platforms to express their disapproval of this feature, with at least one person doing so prominently. X 'Is anyone else experiencing their phone as a newly attached sidekick?'

James Ball commented: 'Congrats to [Meta and WhatsApp] for achieving the least useful and annoying AI incorporation into an application yet.'

"When I look for a chat, all of this is completely useless," he posted on X.

'Apple Intelligence was tough to surpass in this area, but you did it!'

Natalie Freeman, another irate user, commented: “I have no desire to utilize AI to compose my messages!”

'I AM A COMPETENT PERSON!!'

What steps should I follow to delete Meta AI from my WhatsApp?

Although Meta hasn't provided guidance on removing Meta AI from WhatsApp, users have discovered techniques to evade the chatbot.

Several people have proposed changing to WhatsApp Business , a variant of the application tailored to assist enterprises in communicating with their clientele.

Although certain WhatsApp Business users report that they do not encounter Meta AI within their application, others assert that they continue to have visibility of the chatbot.

An alternative approach that has proven effective for certain Android users involves reverting to an earlier version of the application by installing a previous release.

Is Meta AI able to view my private messages?

Meta says the chatbot cannot access or read the content of your messages unless you ask it for help – but even then, your messages will remain end-to-end encrypted.

Even though your WhatsApp messages are encrypted, your interactions with Meta AI are not.

This means that anything you send to the chatbot may be used to improve its AI models, so users are advised not to ‘send messages … with information you don’t want it to know.’

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