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May 8, 2025
The flood of messages in messengers like WhatsApp poses challenges for many users. To maintain an overview, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is working on a new feature based on artificial intelligence. "Meta AI" is intended to help users grasp long message histories more efficiently.
As reported by WABetaInfo, Meta is currently testing a feature in a beta version for Android that allows "Meta AI" to summarize messages in individual and group chats as well as in channels. As soon as a certain number of new messages have been received, a button should appear in the chat. By tapping this button, users can request an AI-generated summary of the new message content.
Message summarization is just one of many planned features of Meta AI in WhatsApp. The optional service should also help users answer questions, create recommendations, and generate images. Users can chat directly with Meta AI or mention it in group conversations.
To improve personalization, Meta AI can also use information from linked Facebook or Instagram accounts in some regions, provided that these are stored in Meta's "Accounts Center." The German language is already supported.
A central issue in the integration of AI into messenger services is data protection. WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. Meta therefore relies on the "Private Processing" technology to enable AI functions without Meta or WhatsApp gaining access to the message content.
"Private Processing" is based on so-called Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), which create a secure processing environment within the processor. Requests to the AI are end-to-end encrypted and the system operates statelessly, meaning it does not store messages beyond processing. According to WABetaInfo, the summarization function will not be available when "Advanced Chat Privacy" is enabled to respect user preferences. Meta also plans to open parts of "Private Processing" to security researchers.
The message summarization feature is currently still in development. Meta introduced the "Private Processing" technology at the end of April 2025 and announced that the first functions should be available "in the coming weeks." Since Meta AI already supports German, it is likely that the summarization function will also be available in German. The rollout is likely to be gradual.
Other messenger services also rely on AI support. For example, Apple integrates "Apple Intelligence" into its Messages app, which also offers summaries and suggested replies. Similar to Meta, Apple also promises not to store data on servers and to offer independent verification options. However, Apple Intelligence requires newer hardware.
AI-powered summaries in messengers offer the potential to simplify communication and manage the flood of information. However, data protection concerns remain, and it is important that providers keep their transparency and data protection promises. The success of these functions will ultimately depend on whether the benefits outweigh users' concerns.
Sources: - https://t3n.de/tag/kuenstliche-intelligenz/ - https://www.threads.com/@t3n_magazin/post/DJWsCI7BLWK/eure-whatsapp-chats-werden-immer-intelligenter-was-meta-einem-medienbericht-zufo - https://t3n.de/ - https://t3n.de/news/meta-ai-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-deaktivieren-loeschen-1679013/ - https://newstral.com/de/article/de/1266404347/whatsapp-und-meta-ai-wie-euch-die-ki-bei-langen-nachrichten-helfen-soll - https://t3n.de/news/ - https://www.heise.de/tipps-tricks/Meta-AI-Das-kann-die-WhatsApp-KI-10334140.html