WhatsApp introduces private AI chat mode for Meta AI conversations
Cyber security experts raise accountability concerns over disappearing AI chats.
WhatsApp has introduced a new private mode for conversations with Meta AI that limits storage and retention of chat data. According to Meta, conversations are designed to disappear after chats end and are not stored on company servers.
WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said the feature responds to user demand for more private AI interactions involving sensitive topics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg described the feature as an AI product designed without persistent server-side conversation logs.
Professor Alan Woodward of the University of Surrey reportedly raised concerns about how disappearing conversations could affect accountability and investigations into harmful AI interactions. According to reports, critics argued that limited data retention could complicate review processes in cases involving harm or misuse.
Meta stated that the feature will initially support text-based interactions and include safeguards intended to block harmful or illegal requests. The announcement comes amid Meta’s broader expansion of AI-related products and infrastructure investments.
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