And if you use WhatsApp, you may have noticed a subtle change in the app this week. The Meta-owned app has quietly added a new blue circle icon in the bottom-right corner of your chats. This icon is a shortcut to Meta AI - the tech giant's artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. 'Meta AI through WhatsApp is an optional service from Meta that can answer your questions, teach you something, or help come up with new ideas,' Meta explained. While the tool has been available in the US for some time, it recently started arriving in the UK - and many users are unhappy about it.

If you've noticed a new light blue circle appear in your WhatsApp chats recently, and wondered what it was, Meta has recently expanded its implementation of Meta AI into new markets--and now, it's in yours. While it began rolling out in the US and Canada in 2023, more recently it has started arriving on devices across countries in Europe, including the UK, as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. In fact, the artificial intelligence-based chatbot is rolling out across the entire Meta ecosystem, including Messenger and Instagram, and can provide you with a few basic features like answering questions, generating text or creating content. However, its appearance has also raised privacy concerns with users, and questions as to whether it can be turned off. Here's what you need to know.