WhatsApp Is Testing an AI Selfie Generator Tool

Meta’s adding another AI element to WhatsApp, this time via a new image creation tool, which will enable you to place yourself within fantastical scenes for your profile pic.

As you can see in this screenshot, posted by Android Authority, Meta’s developing a new “Imagine Me” feature in WhatsApp, which would enable you to create AI-powered variations of your profile image, based on text prompts.

To activate the process, you would simply upload a selfie, or a collection of selfies, then type in “Imagine me...” and the setting if your choice.

As per Android Authority:

“Although not available yet, a leaked screenshot of the feature indicates that you’ll be asked to upload a handful of reference selfies when you first opt into the feature. The Meta AI chatbot will then create new images that “imagine” yourself in different environments “like a forest or outer space”.”

The process sounds very similar to Snapchat’s “Dreams” selfie generation tool.

Dreams is effectively the same thing, enabling you to generate AI variations of yourself, with the process then placing your face into different scenarios and personas.

Which is kind of fun, I guess, and it could be an interesting addition for WhatsApp, providing more creative options to the platform’s billions of users.

But it’s not exactly a game-changer, and it still feels like we’re waiting for a killer use case for AI within social and messaging apps. Meta also added its AI chatbot to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, back in April, and while functionally, that does add something to each app, it doesn’t feel like a transformative add-on as yet.

Meta’s also experimenting with the option to create an AI version of yourself, as it looks to become a leader in the AI space.

But do any of these features add more than novelty value? Are these actually valuable, enduring options that will enhance platform engagement?

Maybe I’m overlooking the fun of it, but it seems like Meta really needs to find a more valuable use case for AI, considering that it's investing billions of dollars into the development of its AI models.

I mean, really, Meta’s investment is aimed at the future of computing, and eventually, artificial general intelligence (AGI). That’s the Holy Grail of AI, in building systems that can actually simulate human thought. But that’s still a long way off, and I’m not convinced that the current wave of AI developments actually provides a heap of value for social apps.

But, cool selfies, I guess. For billions of dollars.

WhatsApp’s “Imagine Me” feature is still in early development and is not in public testing as yet.