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Technology
Oliver Haslam

WhatsApp takes aim at Apple Intelligence with new AI-generated avatars powered by Meta AI

WhatsApp on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple Intelligence will be made up of various new features when it arrives later this year and some of those features will involve the power of generative AI. Users will be able to have Apple Intelligence create images based on their commands, but that feature is far from unique – and now even WhatsApp is getting in on the act.

While not yet officially announced, a new beta version of the WhatsApp app for the Android platform has detailed a new feature that will allow people to take a photo of themselves and then have generative AI use it as the basis for creating yet more images.

The idea is likely that this will be used to create new avatars for WhatsApp users and while it's yet to ship, it could be a useful feature for those who want something a little different from the usual selfie photo.

AI-generated avatars

The new addition was first spotted by the beta watchers over at WABetaInfo and while it made its debut in the Android app, we can surely expect it to also be added to the iPhone app in the near future.

Using Meta AI, the feature looks set to be popular among those who like to regularly update their avatar.

"This feature will allow users to take a single set of photos, which Meta AI will then use to generate AI images," WABetaInfo explains. "Users must take setup photos that will be analyzed to create these images, ensuring that the generated images accurately represent their appearance. It's important to mention that users will retain full control over this feature, as they can delete their setup photos at any time through the Meta AI settings."

There is currently no word on when this new generative AI feature will be available to the public, but WhatsApp is normally pretty good at progressing features from beta to the final version of the app.

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