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WhatsApp has introduced an entirely new feature in the app to make it easier for users to find and follow channels. The new development follows on from the same platform’s efforts to add services in order to strive for the diversified interests of the global users. It will likely ease access to interesting content, so that easy connection to the channels the user prefers can be made.
This allows the user to explore the seven categories, including People, Organizations, Lifestyle, Sports, Entertainment, Businesses, and News & Information. The addition of the ‘Explore’ feature under the ‘Updates‘ tab has significantly allowed users to find their favorite channels given the vast amount available on the site.
Exploring Content under Various Categories
But that’s not all; WhatsApp has also added a new feature called ‘Explore’ that can allow its users to find channels through ‘interests’. From finding news and sports news to any interesting entertainment or business information, WhatsApp has made this task much easier as it has sorted the content into seven well-defined categories. Every category is like a hub so the user can find channels related to what they are looking for, whether it is information or some form of entertainment.
The categories are:
People – Content channels associated with politicians, personalities, or celebrities.
Organization – Institution, charity, or any professional body-related content.
Lifestyle – Health, fitness, fashion, and general living issues.
Sports: Latest news relating to the world of sports.
Entertainment: Radio shows, movies, TV, music, et cetera.
Businesses – Companies or brands with their products and services.
News & Current Affairs – Breaking news coverage and informative content on varied matters all over the world.
This method of classification helped WhatsApp to develop a customized experience for users. Every person can follow only their areas of interest without receiving unwanted stuff.
Growing Popularity of WhatsApp Channels
So much so that the newly added feature of Channels has already found a popular place among more than 500 million worldwide people. Indeed, millions of people are engaged by these channels every month. Now this great magnitude clearly depicts how much importance the platform has gained in sharing content and interaction, rather than it being just a messaging service.
In India, WhatsApp Channels have especially caught users’ attention, with various Bollywood stars featuring among the most followed channels. Various celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Diljit Dosanjh have gathered large followings on the platform, and similar user bases can be seen for the Indian Cricket Team and Netflix India.
Another reason why it is in huge demand is that more and more influential people are starting to use WhatsApp Channels. The latest celebrity joining the WhatsApp Channel is actor Ayushmann Khurrana, and this adds to its popularity even more.
New AI Voice Chat Feature by WhatsApp
Apart from the improvement of the channel discovery process, another landmark achievement of WhatsApp in the field of artificial intelligence is the new AI-powered voice chat feature. The messaging platform will introduce a new, state-of-the-art two-way voice chat feature that is provided by Meta AI. Using this feature, users will be able to hold conversations with a bot while using the voices of various celebrities. Many diverse voice options have been incorporated to make the interaction more lively and personable, hence bringing out a distinct conversational experience.
Meta AI will enable voice chat, a feature that allows people to employ several voices with varied pitch, tone, and accent, so any person may choose the kind of voice they would wish to be engaged by. Such a level of personalization changes the way users communicate with AI-enabled chatbots and makes the process seem much more natural and fun to them.
Range of Voices: From Personality Figures to Influencers
One of the most exciting inclusions with this new AI voice chat feature is to offer voices from public figures, influencers, and celebrities. Soon, WhatsApp users might be conversing with AI chatbots sounding just like their favorite stars or well-known influencers-thus creating another publicity feature for Meta itself as it merges AI-driven interactions with personalities of public figures and crafts an experience that is both engaging and fun.
According to WABetaInfo, trusted for all the news that is being seen with WhatsApp, AI voice chat is still in the development and is yet to be made available for beta testers. The feature, when it is released, will reportedly have UK and US voices in the phase of launch. Later, other voices are destined to be rolled out as well- probably of the celebrities and influencers.
Meta’s Wider Ambition with AI-Powered Conversations
The new AI voice chat on WhatsApp from Meta isn’t the first attempt at using AI to fuel conversations. The previous year saw Meta roll out its customized AI chatbots on its Messenger service, powered with the personality of an influencer or celebrity. It allowed users to talk to AI-powered personalities seen around in life.
In this regard, the newly announced voice chat on WhatsApp seems to be an extremely organic extension of that previous effort, as the boundaries of AI’s capabilities are now expanded beyond text-based interactions to voice-based ones. In other words, this reflects the broader vision of Meta, where it expects more deployment of AI for a more immersive experience with the users across its platforms, so that one can see the engagement going deeper in Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp.
The Future of AI-Based Personalization on WhatsApp
Metas investment in AI-driven personalization will make people want and engage with technology on messaging platforms in ways that are never seen before. Voice chat is the perfect example of how one should interact via AI toward a sense of natural and lifelike interaction. One may, in the near future, be able to customize interactions even further and choose voices reflecting their tastes and interests.
Next, there are voices of celebrities included in AI chatbots. One can imagine asking a chatbot for recommendations about films or fitness guidelines and being advised by an AI-generated version of his or her favorite celebrity. Such interaction somehow intermingles technology with personalization and entertainment for the interesting experience of users.
Conclusion: Expanding Features of WhatsApp and the Role of AI
Introducing its new feature with channels, which the company said will be paired with AI voice chat in the near future, seems an exciting time for the platform. On the other hand, although the process of discovering and following is simplified for users in order to connect with their favorite content, the functionality of voice chat offers new possibilities for interaction, such as AI-driven personalization in interaction patterns.
With the public figures and organizations using WhatsApp Channels, the engagement for such users will continue to grow because AI will come into play, enhancing the features of the interaction of those using the channels.
One of the most exciting things that WhatsApp has set in motion is the border-pushing extension of how technology can enhance communication by proposing AI-powered conversations featuring celebrities and influencers’ voices in messages. Messaging apps will be far more personalized, interesting, and dynamic; we can’t even fathom some of the ways AI is going to shape experiences.