WhatsApp is developing an AI-powered image creator that will allow users to create AI avatars of themselves to place in virtual environments of their own choosing. The feature, first spotted by WABetaInfo in an upcoming beta version of WhatsApp’s Android version, will likely use WhatsApp parent company Meta’s portfolio of AI models, Llama.
“This feature allows you to take a photo of yourself once and then ask Meta AI to generate AI images of you,” the screenshot from the beta explains. “To generate an AI image of yourself, type “Picture me…” in your Meta AI chat. You can also use this feature in other chats by typing “@Meta AI picture me…”
Users would upload some photos of themselves and Meta’s AI Llama model would create an AI avatar of them which can then be placed in any picture setting based on text prompts. While the feature is currently in the beta testing phase and available to a limited group of users, it is not yet clear when it will be available to the general public.
Avatars won't be WhatsApp's first AI feature. The social media platform recently added custom stickers within the app that users can create using text prompts. However, making it possible to insert yourself into an AI-generated image would be a big step forward for the company.
AI Identity
The idea makes a lot of sense as an attractive feature for WhatsApp on its own, but it would also stand out among Meta’s peers. AI image generators provided by companies like OpenAI and Google are typically very reluctant to create AI avatars of any real person, let alone one that can be used repeatedly. ChatGPT will almost always say that it can’t make an image of a real person, and Google Gemini rejects the idea of replicating a person in favor of an image of a character with a similar likeness or just wearing the same clothing. In fact, Google has recently made it easier to remove unauthorized AI avatars on YouTube, establishing a method for those who spot deepfake versions of themselves to request their removal.
Privacy and security are the obvious concerns around AI avatars of real people. While WhatsApp hasn’t yet detailed specific privacy measures for AI-generated avatars, it will likely have to have some strict rules in place when the feature comes out. The company will want to ensure that user data is handled securely and that users have control over how their image is used. Offering the feature as optional is a step in that direction. The fact that the feature appears to employ the Meta AI interface now available on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta properties suggests that WhatsApp may be a testing ground for a broader rollout in the future.
