Meta AI on WhatsApp for Android could get support for voice inputs: Report

Meta AI on WhatsApp for Android currently supports text inputs, but the new beta version hints that voice support could be available alongside text input on the instant messaging platform soon

Meta is reportedly working on enhancing its artificial intelligence chatbot for WhatsApp with support for voice inputs. Essentially, it will allow WhatsApp for Android users to interact with Meta AI using voice messages. According to a report by WABetaInfo, Meta is rolling out the feature that allows sharing voice messages with Meta AI to select users with the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android.

According to the report, WhatsApp has added a voice message button next to the text field in the chat interface for Meta AI in the latest beta version. The button looks similar to the one available on chats for sending voice messages to other users. Currently, users can only interact with the AI-powered chatbot by typing in prompts and holding a text-based conversation.

The report also stated that the feature is powered by Meta AI’s speech recognition technology for understanding the content of the voice message and processing user’s queries. The feature would likely process the requests on-device for maintaining privacy. The report stated that Meta AI will prompt the user to re-record the voice message in case the original message has poor audio quality or has a lot of background noise.

The voice message sharing feature for Meta AI is currently available to select beta testers with the latest version of WhatsApp for Android on the Google Play Store. While Meta has not officially detailed a wider release of the feature, it is expected to roll-out to more Android app users in the coming weeks. There is currently no information about the availability of the feature on the iOS version of WhatsApp.

Last month, it was reported that Meta is testing a Google Pixel-like voice transcription feature for voice messages on WhatsApp. According to media WABetaInfo, the feature will allow users to see a textual transcription of both incoming and outgoing audio notes. The feature, which is currently under beta testing, reportedly allows generating transcriptions in English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Hindi. Support for more languages is expected to arrive with the final release.