Earlier this week, Meta quietly introduced its AI chatbot, Meta AI, on WhatsApp and Instagram for select users. As I hadn’t yet experienced Meta’s AI chatbot, I saw this as an opportunity to explore its capabilities. Additionally, I was curious to see how an AI chatbot functions within a messaging platform like WhatsApp and what benefits it might offer. Today, I’ll be sharing my initial impressions of Meta AI on WhatsApp.
What is Meta AI: A Quick Overview
Before diving in, let’s briefly discuss Meta AI. This chatbot is powered by Llama 2, a generative text model, in conjunction with Meta’s Large Language Model (LLM) research.
This enables the chatbot to deliver quick responses to your queries, eliminating the need for lengthy wait times. Meta has also collaborated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine to provide real-time information during conversations, should the need arise.
In essence, Meta AI can engage in text-based conversations, retrieve up-to-date information from the web, provide source links, and even generate images (which I’ll discuss later). However, it’s important to note that it cannot process voice commands or respond in a conversational manner like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
How to Access Meta AI on WhatsApp
Accessing Meta AI on WhatsApp can be done in a few different ways. The simplest method is to open the app and tap on the Meta AI button, which is denoted by a blue circle icon, located above the chat icon in the bottom right corner. This action will take you directly to Meta AI’s chat interface. Interestingly, Meta AI’s chat interface blends seamlessly with other ongoing chats in the app, rather than having its dedicated page, similar to MyAI on Snapchat.
Another way to access Meta AI is through the search bar, although this feature is currently being rolled out to a limited number of users. Additionally, you can choose to pin Meta AI’s chat to ensure it appears at the top of your conversation list for quick and easy access.
What Kind of Questions Can You Ask Meta AI?
If you’ve ever used ChatGPT, Google Gemini (formerly Bard), or Microsoft’s Copilot (formerly Bing AI), then the experience with Meta AI is comparable. You ask a question, and it provides an answer within seconds. I tested it with some common questions like “Write a good morning message to send to my family members,” or “What is the weight of the earth?” The majority of AI models currently available can easily manage these types of questions.
I also asked some real-time event-related questions to gauge its accuracy, such as “Who won yesterday’s IPL match?”Who has been cast as the new Superman?”, and “What is the latest song by Selena Gomez?” It effortlessly answered these questions, providing links to the sources, a functionality I believe is influenced by Microsoft’s Copilot, which offers similar features.
Additionally, I explored some creative writing using Meta AI, asking for title ideas for articles I’ve previously written or an alternate ending to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. I even posed follow-up questions about the fanfic script, and Meta AI responded without any issues.
Naturally, being on WhatsApp, I couldn’t resist asking Meta AI to respond to some of my friends’ messages. It attempted to do so, but due to the limited context available, it couldn’t provide a satisfactory response. This limitation highlights the challenge of integrating an AI-powered chatbot into a messaging app while restricting its access to broader resources.
Things Meta AI Chatbot Can and Can’t Do
All the Things Meta AI Can Do
You can also ask Meta AI to generate images, and the results are quite prompt, I must say. However, they may not always align accurately with the prompt provided. For example, when I asked it to “show a plane flying over the New York skyline,” it generated an image of a plane landing on the wing of another plane flying over New York City.
In other instances, it managed to create the exact image I asked for, like a “squirrel riding a skateboard” or a “monkey doing math.” So, it’s a bit hit-and-miss, but it’s expected to improve over time. Additionally, Meta AI adds a watermark to every image it generates, located at the bottom left side.
Meta AI can also translate texts, but it struggles with certain slang terms, which may not be a significant issue for most users. Moreover, you can use it to search the web, find recipes, plan holidays, and more. It’s up to you to explore its capabilities and, speaking of boundaries…
All the Things Meta AI Can’t Do
Similar to other chatbots, Meta AI refrains from engaging in inappropriate behavior. It avoids answering or creating content on sensitive topics. For instance, when I asked it to generate religious good morning messages, it had no issue doing so. However, when I requested an image containing a religious idol, it declined.
The same cautious approach applies when asking for jokes on certain topics or subjects. However, compared to ChatGPT, Meta AI seems less sensitive. Recently, even the slightest mention of such topics on ChatGPT has led to the conversation being discontinued. Hence, I avoided pushing Meta AI to its limits.
If you persist despite its warnings, you might find yourself blocked. This happened to us, as Meta AI’s profile image disappeared, though we could still communicate with it. Therefore, it seems that while Meta AI can restrict certain actions, it cannot completely block a user.
Final Thoughts on Meta AI in WhatsApp
Before I conclude, I’d like to ask you: Have you ever wished for an AI chatbot in WhatsApp? Did you ever feel the need for one? I assume your answer is a resounding no, and I agree. It might seem a bit out of place. While it’s being tested on Facebook and Instagram too, which is promising, WhatsApp is more personal, and Meta AI just doesn’t feel like the right fit for the platform.
Looking ahead, it’s commendable that Meta has taken steps to prevent the AI from generating certain types of images, as fake news tends to spread rapidly through WhatsApp. Given the platform’s massive audience in regions like India, my initial impressions may not capture the creative ways people could use it there. I believe its best integration might be as a search engine within the app for quick queries. In its current state, I don’t see much utility, but that opinion could change in the future.
If you’ve received Meta AI on WhatsApp, what are your thoughts on it? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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