WhatsApp rolls out AI-powered Writing Help feature
WhatsApp is getting another injection of artificial intelligence in the form of Writing Help. As you would guess from the name, this is a tool designed to help you come up with the perfect message for different scenarios.
With Writing Help being billed as something that could be of assistance in all manner of communication, there will be understandable concerns about privacy. WhatsApp is one step ahead of worried users here, pointing out that Writing Help is built on top of Private Processing technology.
What does this mean exactly? WhatsApp explains that it means that you can “leverage Meta AI to generate a response without Meta or WhatsApp ever reading your message or the suggested re-writes”.
Reporting about the new feature, WABetaInfo summarizes WhatsApp’s detailed explanation of the technology and how it works by saying:
Writing Help relies entirely on Private Processing, a secure technology developed by Meta to ensure that all user data remains safe and anonymous. Private Processing works by encrypting requests and using anonymous routing so that no message can be linked to the identity of the user who sends it. This means that messages processed through Writing Help are never stored on Meta' servers, nor are they visible to either WhatsApp or Meta. Every request is handled privately, leaving no digital trace behind. As a result, no one, not even Meta or WhatsApp, can read the content of the messages or the AI-generated suggestions.
The question is, what it is for? WhatsApp has a readymade answer to this query:
Sometimes you know what you want to say, but just need a little help with how to say it.
That’s why today we’re introducing Writing Help. It’s our latest AI feature powered by Private Processing that keeps your messages completely private. You can review the suggestions from AI in various styles such as professional, funny, or supportive that you can select or continue editing to deliver that perfect message.
To use Writing Help, just start drafting your message in a 1:1 or group chat, and tap the new pencil icon.
Following backlash about how other features have been rolled out – both AI-powered and not, and those from Meta as well as other companies – WhatsApp has learned not to force this new tool on users:
As always, we believe that you should be in control of your experience on WhatsApp. That's why using Private Processing features like Writing Help and Message Summaries are optional and are off by default.
The rollout will be a staggered one – and there may be quite a wait depending on where you live. WhatsApp says that: “Writing Help is rolling out in the English language, starting with the United States and several other countries. We hope to bring it to other languages and countries later this year”.
Writing Help is available for both iOS and Android.