WhatsApp is rolling out a new Ask Meta AI shortcut to some beta testers on WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.23.24. The feature adds an option directly to the message menu that allows users to forward messages to Meta AI quickly, useful for things like fact checking. The feature is being rolled out to more users over the coming weeks and is available on the Google Play Store.
This new method of forwarding messages is easier than the current method of forwarding messages to Meta AI where you have to search for the bot throughout your contacts, increasing the risk of a wrong send. The feature will be useful for users who want to quickly ask the chatbot for more details about content they’ve received - similar to how X has integrated Grok allowing you to fact check posts.
Once you’ve selected a message to send to Meta AI, you must still provide a separate prompt or question. This design choice emphasizes user control, as the user must still manually compose and send a query. It also boosts the naturalness of the feature as it’s quick and easy.
In some countries where WhatsApp is popular, it can act as a hotbed of misinformation where individuals disseminate fake news or videos, or even share fake news they’ve received to their own contacts. The Ask Meta AI shortcut will allow recipients to check content they receive and determine the authenticity. They will be able to instantly verify suspicious claims or fake news without leaving the app. This immediacy helps reduce the risk of misinformation spreading.
As misinformation can spread quickly on messaging platforms, the tool empowers users to proactively challenge the accuracy of a message before resharing it.
For those who do not like artificial intelligence for whatever reason and would rather not use it, the Ask Meta AI feature is completely optional, and nothing is shared with the assistant automatically. Users must explicitly choose to share a message with the chatbot and even after tapping the shortcut, the user must still add their own prompt and press the send button.
If you’re a beta tester but do not see this feature yet, it just means you’ll need to wait for Meta to roll it out to you. Hopefully, the public will be able to use it soon too to help stop the spread of dubious claims.
Source and image via WABetaInfo