WhatsApp AI-generated stickers starts rolling out, but there’s a catch

Turns out, generative Artificial Intelligence for images is not just limited to dedicated platforms such as OpenAI’s DALL-E and Midjourney. The latest entrant on the scene is Meta-owned instant messaging platform, WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has introduced an AI feature to generate stickers based on textual prompts, the way one would generate images on Midjourney and DALL-E. But there’s a catch. The feature is only limited to the beta version of the app.

How to use the generative AI feature for stickers on WhatsApp

To access the feature, users will need to hit the “create” button which shows up when they open the keyboard on the stickers’ tab while composing a message. Following this, the user will be asked to enter a description, based on which the AI model will generate a sticker.

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Furthermore, it also doesn’t limit itself to one sticker, and will present users with multiple options, which they can select as per their preferences. Users can then simply tap on and select the sticker they would like to use.

The generative AI sticker feature has been released with the objective to make conversations on WhatsApp more engaging and personalised in nature. Furthermore, ease of use has also been kept in mind while deploying the feature, with its relatively simple mechanism.

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At the same time, WhatsApp has also kept in mind safety and security, as they are often required to keep the content being generated using these platforms in check. Therefore, WhatsApp allows for a user to report stickers generated using this feature, in case they believe the same are offensive or harmful in nature.

On which devices is the feature accessible?

Currently, the AI feature to generate stickers on WhatsApp, is only available to those who have signed up for Google Play’s Beta program. It is expected to be rolled out to the general user base on Android smartphones first, subsequently followed by iPhone users and the desktop app in the coming weeks.