WhatsApp is planning to introduce a voice chat mode that will allow users to communicate with the Meta AI chatbot using their voices. The new update, which is already available in WhatsApp beta for Android, enables people to select from ten different voices for the AI.
In the latest beta version (2.24.17.16), testers can experiment with different voices for Meta AI by selecting circles of different colors that represent each voice option. The company has not disclosed what specific characteristics — such as accents or tones — these voices have yet but it is an important step towards more personalized and user-friendly AI interactions.
📝 WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.17.16: what's new?
WhatsApp is working on a feature to choose the Meta AI voice, and it will be available in a future update!https://t.co/019ZujPwNz pic.twitter.com/oklncKbBHt
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) August 12, 2024
WhatsApp Beta users start testing new AI voice options
This feature can be accessed immediately by testers who have enrolled via the Play Store, although enrolment periods may not always be open. Only Android users involved in the beta program will see this update. Adding voice selection is expected to make it easier than ever for people to talk with Meta AI; they will do so more naturally and intuitively compared to typing.
Once the update becomes available for the general public, all WhatsApp users can choose their preferred AI voice during the wider release of this feature. This shows that WhatsApp wants artificial intelligence to play a bigger role within its app, as well as align with the industry trend towards voice-based interactions in technology.
WhatsApp prepares to launch Meta AI voice chat mode soon
Though no specific date has been mentioned about when this capability will be made generally available, industry watchers expect it could come out as part of an upcoming Android user update. Many voices were introduced because they wanted to cater to different types of customers who use their service hence some voices may have accents or tones that differ from others but exact details regarding these variations are still unknown.
During its beta phase release, WhatsApp hopes feedback from users may enable them to refine these voices before making them available widely as a part of regular updates. While being a messaging platform that continues to evolve, integrating Meta AI into voice chats might represent major paradigm shifts within digital assistants used in messengers by users.
