WhatsApp is developing a new generative AI feature that allows users to create personalized avatars.
This feature, which was discovered in the latest WhatsApp Beta for Android 2.24.14.7 by WABetaInfo, will utilize user images, text prompts, and Meta’s AI Llama model to generate these avatars.
The new feature will enable users to envision themselves in various settings, from a dense forest to the vastness of outer space. Drawing comparisons to AI-driven apps like Lensa AI and Snapchat’s “Dreams” selfie feature, this tool aims to bring a similar level of customization to WhatsApp.
To create these avatars, users will need to upload a single set of photos to train Meta’s AI. After the initial setup, users can generate their personalized avatars by typing “Imagine me” followed by a description of the desired setting in Meta AI chat.
Alternatively, in regular WhatsApp conversations, they can use the command “@Meta AI imagine me…”
The introduction of this feature is expected to be optional, requiring users to activate it through WhatsApp settings. Added to this, users will have control over their reference images, with the option to delete them via the Meta AI settings at any time.
Currently, there is no specific timeline for the general release of this “Imagine AI” selfie feature. Given WhatsApp’s ongoing rollout of Meta AI chatbot support and real-time AI image generation in the US, it might be some time before the avatar feature is widely available.
Meta is likely taking a cautious approach, learning from past issues with its generative AI tools, to ensure a smooth and secure user experience.
