AI is appearing everywhere and some are not pleased and with good reasons. Concerns about privacy, control of personal data, and the overall user experience of the tool, which is constantly present in the apps are just some of the reasons why users have been wondering ever since it appeared if they could disable it. Since Meta is the owner of many companies, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, its Ai appeared on all of them at once, leaving many users with the choice of deleting the app or accepting its presence.
The most concerning one for many users was the blue circle that appeared on WhatsApp, as it is part of the home screen (usually in the lower right corner or in the search bar depending on the version) and many have found themselves clicking on it accidentally or wondering if now everything they wrote on their chats can be viewed by this incorporeal essence.
Why avoiding to use Meta AI is a good idea
The reasons that apply to the Meta AI are the same ones that apply to any other AI when used for personal features that transcend our work (and even using it for work is controversial). With the first reason being privacy concerns.
Most companies that have developed AI tools, including Meta, claim that they protect their client’s data (Meta in particular boasts end-to-end encryption) which should prevent anyone working at eh companies from having access to the content of conversations, but the reality is that to improve how these tools work, the assistant requires analyzing interaction patterns to generate contextual responses. This means that some of the data is accessed by programmers, engineers or other personnel in order to classify it and train the AI. Although it should not be able to be traced back to the original user, there are no real guarantees and all these companies have been known to violate privacy laws in the past regardless of their commitment to privacy.
The fact that this cross-platform use can lead to greater personalization of advertising content also raises questions about the ethical handling of the collected data.
Another of the reasons is the risk of misinformation for those who use it, as there is a high probability that the answers to questions are erroneous or fabricated responses and users are not usually aware of which ones have not been verified. Some AI tools cite sources, but others like Meta do not and when used for sensitive information, such as medical recommendations or legal advice it can have disastrous consequences.
Resource consumption is another one of the concerns, as using the Meta AI on your phone can lead to increased battery and resource consumption on mobile devices, which is a hassle and can also leave you stranded without a working phone if abused accidentally.
So, can it be disabled? The short answer is no, or not yet, as if enough users complain this could be a feature added later on. But for now, Meta AI does not allow you to completely remove the artificial intelligence assistant from your messaging platform. It can be hidden and minimized though, so if you are uninterested in using it, here is how you can hide it:
For Android users:
- Open the WhatsApp app.
- Locate the conversation with Meta AI in your chat list.
- Long press on the chat corresponding to the assistant.
- Select “Delete” (trash can icon) or “Archive” (folder icon), as preferred.
- Confirm the action.
For iPhone, users:
- Sign in to WhatsApp.
- Swipe left on the Meta AI chat.
- Choose between “Archive” or “Delete.”
- Confirm.
On both operating systems, this action removes the assistant’s visibility from the user interface. However, the blue icon may still appear in the search bar. You should also avoid starting conversations with the assistant and avoid mentioning it in any of your chats.