California: WhatsApp has launched a new private “incognito” mode for conversations with its AI chatbot, allowing users to interact with Meta AI without their chats being stored or monitored.
The feature means conversations between users and the AI assistant will disappear after the session ends, and neither WhatsApp nor its parent company Meta will reportedly have access to the chat content.
According to Will Cathcart, the new mode was introduced in response to growing concerns among users who want to discuss sensitive topics such as health, finances and personal relationships privately.
Cathcart said many people were uncomfortable sharing highly personal information if those conversations could later be stored or accessed by companies.
The company described the feature as one of the first major AI products designed without maintaining server-side logs of conversations. Mark Zuckerberg also promoted the update as a major privacy-focused development for AI chat services.
WhatsApp stated that the system behind the incognito feature is different from its existing end-to-end encryption system but offers a similar level of privacy protection for AI interactions.
The feature arrives amid growing global debate over AI privacy, data collection and how technology companies use chatbot conversations to train future AI systems.
Currently, many AI platforms store user conversations to improve their models, although some enterprise services offer stricter privacy protections for paying customers.
Cybersecurity experts have welcomed the stronger privacy protections but also raised concerns about accountability if harmful AI responses cannot later be reviewed.
Experts warned that fully disappearing AI conversations could complicate investigations in cases involving harmful advice, misinformation or other serious incidents linked to chatbot use.
WhatsApp said the incognito mode will initially support text-only conversations and that Meta AI will continue using safety guardrails designed to block harmful or illegal requests.
The launch is part of Meta’s broader push into artificial intelligence, with the company investing heavily in AI infrastructure and integrating AI tools across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
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