WhatsApp has started rolling out a new feature called “Writing Assistant,” which leverages Meta AI to help users craft and refine their messages. The tool aims to offer alternative versions of users’ texts, with customizable tones such as professional, supportive, humorous, or versions that are grammatically improved and more concise. According to the company, the feature is initially being introduced to English-speaking users in the U.S. and several other countries, with plans to expand to more regions and languages later this year. The feature is seamlessly integrated into the app’s chat interface. When a user begins typing in a personal or group conversation, a small pencil icon appears next to the text input field. Tapping this icon activates the Writing Assistant, which then generates rewritten versions of the draft. These alternatives can be adjusted to sound more formal, casual, supportive, or simply clearer and grammatically correct. Users can choose one of the suggestions, make additional edits, or ignore them altogether and stick with their original wording. Importantly, recipients will not be able to tell whether a message was polished using AI. The messaging platform, which has previously faced significant backlash over its controversial privacy policies, emphasized that privacy remains central to this release. The social media giant claims that the Writing Assistant relies on the company’s private computation techniques, ensuring that neither WhatsApp nor Meta can read or store the original messages or the AI-generated alternatives. All processing is done securely, with text being encrypted and anonymized before it is handled by the system. The company has also engaged independent cybersecurity firms, including NCC Group and Trail of Bits, to audit the system and verify its security measures. Additionally, WhatsApp clarified that, like other recent updates, the Writing Assistant is an optional tool. It is disabled by default and must be manually enabled by users through the app’s settings. Meanwhile, the launch of the Writing Assistant coincides with other recent AI-driven experiments within WhatsApp, such as message summarization, which condenses long conversations into easily digestible summaries. However, despite these innovations, Meta continues to face criticism and regulatory hurdles. The company recently came under fire for reports that its AI engaged in inappropriate conversations with users, including minors. It is also embroiled in an antitrust case with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Furthermore, WhatsApp has recently faced scrutiny in Russia, where authorities reportedly restricted its voice and video calling features over alleged violations of local laws.