WhatsApp’s New Meta AI Feature Will Reportedly Reply to Images and Edit Them

WhatsApp for Android is reportedly getting a new feature allowing the in-built artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Meta AI to edit and reply to images. The new feature is currently under development, as per the update tracker, and those who have signed up for the app’s beta programme will not be able to see it. It is said that the upcoming Meta AI feature will be powered by the company’s latest large language model, Llama 3. Users will be given privacy control options to protect the images as well.

According to the WhatsApp update tracker WABetaInfo, the new feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.14.20. Since the feature is still under development, it has not been made visible in the release. However, the feature tracker has shared screenshots of the AI feature, highlighting its capabilities and workings.

WhatsApp for Android to get edit images feature in Meta AI
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

As per the screenshots, it appears that the new feature will be powered by Llama 3. Notably, an earlier report claimed that users will soon get access to Llama 3 and will also be able to switch between the AI model and its predecessor. Llama 2 also has computer vision, so it might support the feature as well.

There are two distinct features. First, Meta AI is said to be able to reply to images. Currently, the AI chatbot can reply to texts, but it cannot see or process images. The feature tracker claims the new update will let users post an image and ask the AI questions about it. This can already be done on Gemini AI and ChatGPT. Llama 3’s open-sourced models can also do it, but for that users will have to locally run the LLM.

The second feature is claimed to allow Meta AI to make edits to the images. Currently, it is not known the level of editing the AI model can make. It could support basic edits such as improving the lighting, cropping, removing background objects, and more. However, it may also offer advanced AI editing such as changing the background and adding more effects, just like Magic Editor offers in compatible Pixel smartphones.

In the screenshot, a description of the feature says that the photos sent to Meta AI will be analysed, including facial features. It also adds that users will have control over the image, and they can delete it anytime. However, it is not clear whether deleting the image will also delete it from Meta AI’s database. The release date for the features is not known at the moment.