Meta AI in WhatsApp: Anger over blue circle and data protection risks!

Meta AI in WhatsApp: Anger over blue circle and data protection risks!

Meta has the end of March 2025 Meta AI integrated into WhatsApp, which only a short time later met with great interest and concerns from users. The AI ​​assistant is characterized by a wide range of functions, including answering questions, generating images and providing support with everyday tasks. It uses current internet data to provide users with precise answers.

The impressive features of Meta AI include the creation of texts and translations in different languages. It is also possible to generate specific images or short videos based on user specifications and to edit uploaded photos. The integration of the AI ​​assistant offers personal recommendations for restaurants, excursions and leisure activities and also acts as a reminder for upcoming appointments. Interestingly, Meta AI even understands Swiss German.

Features and accessibility

Meta AI is accessed through a blue circle in the chat overview. While this is available in both individual and group conversations, the input “@Meta AI” is required in group chats to activate the assistant. These functions have led many users to find the AI ​​assistant useful, but there are also critical voices.

Privacy concerns are a constant topic in the discussion of AI technologies. Critics fear that user data could be used to further develop AI without consent. It notes that interactions with Meta AI are not protected by end-to-end encryption, adding to the concerns. The announcement that details from private chats may be stored adds to user uncertainty.

Usage and data security

Another problem is that the AI ​​assistant cannot be completely removed from the application. This means that some users find the constant presence of the Meta AI annoying. There is currently no way to completely deactivate the AI ​​tool in WhatsApp. However, users can archive or delete the Meta AI chat, but this is only a temporary solution.

In the context of AI development, it is important to note that the performance of AI systems depends heavily on the quality of training data. How itransition.com reported, careful data mapping and feature selection play a crucial role in creating reliable and diverse training sets. Such data sets must represent the diverse user base of social media.

Additionally, it is necessary to address the challenges of model drift, which can affect the performance of AI models over time, through regular retraining with current data. However, the use of deep neural networks, which are known for their power, should be done cautiously to take into account the complexity and potential ambiguities of these technologies.

Overall, Meta AI is still in the early stages of being integrated into WhatsApp, but it already offers numerous functions that raise questions about data security and user experience.