WhatsApp has introduced a new AI-powered feature called “Writing Help” to assist users in rephrasing, proofreading, and adjusting the tone of their messages, as announced by Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, on Wednesday.
The Writing Help feature leverages Meta’s Private Processing technology to ensure user privacy. This technology processes AI-generated responses without allowing Meta or WhatsApp to access the original message or suggested rewrites, maintaining the platform’s privacy commitment.
Writing Help offers AI-driven suggestions to rewrite messages in various tones, including professional, funny, supportive, or simply rephrased. For example, WhatsApp demonstrated the functionality by humorously rewriting the message “Please don’t leave dirty socks on the sofa” as: “Please don’t make the sofa a sock graveyard,” “Breaking news: Socks found chilling on the couch. Please move them,” and “Hey, sock ninja, the laundry basket is that way!”
By launching Writing Help, WhatsApp aims to encourage users to employ its in-app technology for message drafting. This could potentially reduce reliance on external AI tools like ChatGPT. However, WhatsApp acknowledges that some users may prefer authentic, personal conversations over AI-generated messages, recognizing the distinction between using AI for professional emails versus personal messages.
Users can access Writing Help by tapping the pencil icon that appears when composing a message within the app. The Writing Help feature began rolling out in English in select countries on Wednesday.
