Honestly, I have no clue why digital media platforms are so convinced that we all need ways to make ourselves sound smarter or more interesting than we are, but that does appear to be a primary use of AI, based on the tools they’re making available in their apps.
The latest variation of this comes from WhatsApp, which now has a new AI writing assistant option, which can make your messages more interesting. Or something.
As you can see in this example, WhatsApp’s new “Writing Help” provides AI-powered suggestions on how you might want to improve your communication.
As explained by WhatsApp:
“Sometimes you know what you want to say, but just need a little help with how to say it. That’s why today we’re introducing ‘Writing Help,’ our latest AI feature powered by Private Processing, which keeps your messages completely private. You can review the suggestions from AI in various styles such as professional, funny, or supportive that you can select or continue editing to deliver that perfect message.”
So now, if you don’t know how to say something, you can just get AI to simulate you a personality, in order to appear more funny, or more smart, or more thoughtful than you actually are.
Which seems to be counterintuitive for a social tool, which, you would assume, would be focused on actual human connection. But I guess, if people use it…
Various platforms now have the same, in AI options and tools that can effectively simulate an alternate personality for you, so if you’re boring, and/or emotionally detached, and/or illiterate, you can just ask a machine to come up with responses that will make you sound like somebody else.
So, cool, right? Now you can present yourself as something you’re not in your personal DMs.
I don’t know, I don’t get it. DMs, in particular, should be about personal connection, and being who you are with the people you know, but again, if people use these options, I guess they make sense.
To try out WhatsApp’s new “Writing Help,” you’ll be able to tap the new pencil icon in the composer.
