What to know
- WhatsApp is rolling out AI-powered chat features, including message summarization and writing suggestions.
- These features will use Meta's new Private Processing system, which processes data securely in the cloud.
- Private Processing ensures that neither Meta nor WhatsApp can access or store your messages.
- The rollout will begin in the coming weeks, with more AI features planned for the future.
WhatsApp is preparing to introduce new AI-powered features that will help you summarize unread messages and get writing suggestions directly within your chats. These tools are designed to make it easier to manage conversations and respond quickly, especially if you have many messages to catch up on.
Unlike traditional AI features that run on your device, WhatsApp's new tools will process your requests in the cloud. To protect your privacy, Meta has developed a system called Private Processing. This system uses a secure cloud environment to handle AI tasks without exposing your data to Meta, WhatsApp, or any third parties.
When you use an AI feature, your request is encrypted and sent to Meta’s cloud servers. The system checks that the request comes from a real WhatsApp app on a trusted device. Then, the request is processed inside a special secure area called a Confidential Virtual Machine. Meta says that even its own engineers cannot see your data during this process.
Once the AI has completed the task, such as summarizing your messages, the result is encrypted again and sent back to your device. Only your device can decrypt and read the response. Meta does not keep your messages or the AI’s response after the process is finished.
Meta has emphasized that using these AI features is optional. You can choose whether or not to use them, and you will be notified when Private Processing is active. There are also controls to block AI features in sensitive chats if you prefer.
The company plans to start rolling out Private Processing in the coming weeks, beginning with message summaries and writing tips. Over time, more AI-powered features will be added, all using this privacy-first approach. Meta says this move shows its commitment to combining advanced AI with strong privacy protections for WhatsApp users worldwide.
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