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WhatsApp joins the appalling trend for AI-written replies to messages

If there’s one aspect of Apple Intelligence I really detest, it’s the suggested replies to iMessages. Meta is now emulating this with a new update to its Writing Help feature in WhatsApp.

The idea is that instead of actually replying to our friends with, you know, genuine human communication, we can just have AI send something generic instead …

Meta first launched the writing help feature last year, when it was intended to help users rephrase their messages, but TechCrunch reports that the latest update goes further.

WhatsApp is rolling out a slew of new features and updates, including one that generates AI-powered suggested replies based on your conversations […] The company claims the chats remain private even if people use Writing Help.

More usefully, you can now have two accounts logged in at the same time on the iPhone, a feature previously limited to the Android version. You can also free up space by deleting attachments from messages without having to clear the chat, together with a few other minor enhancements.

Users can now use Meta AI to touch up photos directly in a chat. This will let users do things like remove something distracting in an image, change the background, or apply a new style […]

Stickers on WhatsApp are getting an update, too, as WhatsApp will now suggest specific ones to users as they type emojis so they can swap them out with a sticker.

The new features are currently rolling out.

9to5Mac’s Take

If you use AI to reply to your friends’ messages, you are not a friend.

Photo by Emilipothèse on Unsplash

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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