Users shocked to find WhatsApp has AI assistant now

Without users fully realizing, Meta has embedded an AI chatbot into WhatsApp – a move that could redefine how billions interact with artificial intelligence daily.

When most people use AI they make a point of saying they used Chat GPT or Google Gemini, for example. But what if AI was integrated into our digital setup seamlessly and we didn’t need to distinguish it from chatting on our messengers?

Well, that’s what Meta has done recently, with an AI chatbot appearing in selected WhatsApps in a slow rollout that originally stretches back to 2023.

There has been a lack of buzz about the integration, which has shocked the AI community – especially as the AI feature has since disappeared for some users.

James Carson, Co-founder of Agentic, a company focused on AI consulting and automation for content companies, posted on LinkedIn, surprised at the lack of attention the development has garnered.

Seamless, silent AI launch

Significantly, Meta has three billion users across WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. And, unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic, Meta doesn't need to build hype – they can simply drop or deploy it directly into our familiar apps.

LLaMA is the name given to Meta’s engine here and stands for Large Language Model Meta AI.

James’ feedback so far is that it’s “like a 1+ year old Chat GPT” and mentioned to Cybernews that he prompted it to write a scary story and that it rolled off “It was a dark and stormy night” – which is essentially a well-known storytelling cliché.

Perhaps Meta is planning to integrate AI agents into task-based usage, for things like booking appointments or making to-do lists – a bit like what Google’s Gemini is currently gearing towards.

If WhatsApp were to become the default interface for AI agents, the potential would be endless. It would represent a shift from search and standalone AI apps to seamless messaging integration.

Currently Meta has some catching up to do with the likes of OpenAI and Google. “Meta isn’t currently acknowledged on percentage market share of chatbots... but they have the reach,” he told Cybernews.

This would mean that users needn’t go out of their way to use AI and can quickly strike up a conversation with it – just as they would with their human companions.