WhatsApp is introducing a new AI-powered tool called Writing Help, a feature that aids users in rewriting, proofreading, and shaping the tone of their messages. The Meta-owned platform unveiled the feature on Wednesday, describing it as a way to make messaging more flexible without compromising on privacy.
How Writing Help Works
The new feature gives users the option to rewrite their messages in other styles — like professional, humorous, supportive or toned down. For instance, if a user writes, “Please don’t leave dirty socks on the couch,” the AI could offer alternative phrasings, such as:
- “Let’s not have the sofa be a graveyard of socks.”
- “Breaking news: Socks found chilling on the couch. Please move them.”
- “Dear sock ninja – the laundry basket is over there!”
The idea is to allow users to fairly quickly change tone or words, without doing a complete rewrite.
Privacy Focus With Meta’s Private Processing
Meta says the feature is made possible by its Private Processing technology, which means neither Meta nor WhatsApp reads the original message, or the AI-powered rewrites. This means that any correspondence is kept private and that using Writing Help will not affect the work being marked.
Competing With External Tools
With Writing Help, WhatsApp is nudging you to use its AIs rather than going out to services like ChatGPT to help with message construction.
The company is pitching it as a product that can help make casual conversation, professional responses or flirtatious banter more effortless.
Availability
Players can access the Writing Help feature by clicking on a new pencil icon that appears when preparing a message. Users can tap it to view A.I.-generated suggestions. The release will start Wednesday in some countries with English as its first supported language.
The Bigger Picture
Some people may enjoy the convenience, but others would rather have real and personal texts than AI-reply-led replies. Whatsapp admits the feature is optional and leaves users free to make conversations private or add the world of AI to them.
