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

WhatsApp on iPhone 15 Pro Max
(Image credit: Future)

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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Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.