Things to Know about WhatsApp AI Message Summaries, a New AI-powered Feature

Meta has introduced a new AI-powered feature in WhatsApp that offers message summaries for unread chats. WhatsApp says in a blog post that the optional feature would allow users to swiftly catch up on missed messages by providing a brief overview, securely and privately, before viewing the complete information.

WhatsApp can now summarize your private conversations by using Meta AI. You can access it by touching the button to reveal all of your unread chat messages. However, WhatsApp uses Meta AI to create a bulleted summary of the messages you missed rather than displaying them.

What is a WhatsApp AI message summary?

Meta AI powers the message summaries feature, which makes use of a private computing platform known as “Private Processing.” According to Meta, the messages or summaries produced by this feature are not accessible to either it or WhatsApp. Importantly, if a user chooses to use the summary feature, nobody in the chat will be informed.

“This privacy-first approach ensures encryption and user control remain intact,” the company said in the blog. “Message Summaries uses Private Processing technology, which allows Meta AI to generate a response without Meta or WhatsApp ever seeing your messages or the private summaries.”

The feature, which preserves end-to-end privacy, is intended to be particularly helpful in busy group chats, allowing users to swiftly catch up on lengthy threads without having to go through each message.

WhatsApp AI message summary: How it works

Eligible chats will show a small icon indicator when a message summary is available once it is rolled out. Messages never leave the device since summaries are created locally on the device through the use of private processing.

Users can modify Advanced Chat Privacy settings to control which are permitted to use AI features.

By default, the feature is disabled and needs to be manually activated by the user.

According to Meta-owned WhatsApp, the AI message summaries feature is disabled by default and is optional. Additionally, WhatsApp’s “Advanced Privacy” setting can be used to stop users from using AI features in group chats.

As we observed with the introduction of Apple’s AI-generated message and notification rundowns, we are still unsure if WhatsApp’s AI message summaries will have trouble being accurate.

How the feature works

With the help of a technology known as Private Processing, the Message Summaries feature enables Meta AI to create the summary directly on your smartphone, preventing either Meta or WhatsApp from reading your messages or viewing the summary. Not everyone in your chats will be aware that you used this summary feature.

Your privacy is thus fully protected. You still have complete choice over which features you choose to use, and no communications are saved or transmitted to Meta’s servers.

Message summaries and other features are completely optional, as WhatsApp has made clear. You have the option to enable them if you so choose, as they are by default disabled.

People who manage several discussions throughout the day and want a quicker way to stay informed may find this feature extremely helpful.

WhatsApp AI message summary: Rollout status

With support for English, the message summaries feature is presently being introduced in the US. In the upcoming months, Meta intends to increase availability to additional languages and geographical areas.

This update comes after Meta started implementing AI tools across all of its platforms in April.

What is Private Processing

Meta states that its Private Processing is a framework for confidential computing that enables user data to be processed safely on the cloud without anybody else, including Meta, being able to access it. The technology is similar to Private Cloud Compute from Apple.

By establishing a safe virtual environment where AI operations are carried out without disclosing the actual message content, this technique makes it possible to perform secure tasks like composing suggestions and summarizing messages.

By establishing a “secure cloud environment,” the app’s Private Processing is meant to hide your interactions with its AI model and keep your summaries hidden from Meta or WhatsApp. Additionally, the message summaries will not be visible to other members of the group chat.

It’s important to remember that customers in the US are currently able to use the Message Summaries feature in English. Later this year, the company intends to expand it to additional languages and regions.

With English language support, Meta is first launching the feature in the United States. Later this year, it will be available in more languages and countries.

Up till now, users may ask generic inquiries or tag a message to provide context for the chatbot by using Meta AI within the chat. But Meta AI was unable to read your messages.

According to Meta, the new stack enables WhatsApp’s AI to process requests by retrieving context from your private chat. This enables it to offer writing suggestions or message summaries.

By going to Settings > Chats > Private Processing, you may access a new setting that allows you to enable or disable specific AI-powered features.