WhatsApp Spotted Working on AI-Powered Image Editor, Ask Meta AI Feature

WhatsApp's new AI features are expected to make their way to the iOS and Android versions of the app.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 23 March 2024 19:59 IST

WhatsApp Spotted Working on AI-Powered Image Editor, Ask Meta AI Feature

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Christian Wiediger

WhatsApp is working on bringing two new AI-powered features to the messaging app

Highlights

Meta is working on adding new AI features to WhatsApp
It is planning on adding a feature to ask 'Meta AI' on WhatsApp
WhatsApp will soon be equipped with an AI image editor

WhatsApp is currently working on a feature that will let users edit their images using an editing tool that is powered by artificial intelligence (AI), according to details shared by a feature tracker. Users might be able to quickly modify an image's background, restyle it, or 'expand' it using AI, when the feature is rolled out to users in the future. Meanwhile, the company is also working on a feature that will let users ask questions to the company's 'Meta AI' service directly from the search bar.

According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, a feature tracker with a good track record of unearthing new features on the messaging app before they are rolled out, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.7.13 update contains code for an AI-powered image editor. The feature, which is still in development, cannot currently be tested by users who have signed up to receive beta versions of the app.

WhatsApp's upcoming AI-powered features
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

In a screenshot published by WABetaInfo, an early version of the feature is visible on the interface that is shown when sending images on WhatsApp for Android. A green icon located at the top, to the left of the HD icon is visible, and tapping it displays three options Backdrop, Restyle, and Expand. As the feature is still being developed, it is currently unclear what each of these features does.

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Meanwhile, the more recent WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.7.14 version contains details of another feature discovered by WABetaInfo. The feature tracker has spotted the ability to use the search bar at the top of the app to ask queries to Meta AI — the company's generative AI assistant for Meta products designed to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT.

It's worth noting that both these features are still being developed so you won't be able to test them out, even after updating to the latest version of the app. These features are likely to be refined and improved, then rolled out to testers on the beta channel, before they are rolled out to all users. They are also expected to make their way to users on iOS, providing feature parity across both mobile platforms.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, AI, WhatsApp AI features, WhatsApp features, Artificial intelligence, WhatsApp beta, Meta AI, Meta

David Delima

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As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More