The private messaging app has been criticised for adding parent company Meta's AI chatbot within its service but the app is exploring the possibility of adding AI-powered writing suggestions and summaries to the service.

WhatsApp now has a button that pulls up the Meta AI chatbot, which is able to answer questions in English in a similar way to ChatGPT and also offers AI-powered search suggestions.

The AI button is a glowing blue ring within the app but has left users angered, with some stating that they "hate" the tool and others describing it as "bug-ridden rubbish".

A WhatsApp spokesman defended the tool last week and stated that the app's AI features were "entirely optional, and people can choose to use them or not".

He added: "We think giving people these options is a good thing, and we're always listening to feedback from our users to make WhatsApp better."

Cyber security experts have questioned if the decision to add more AI tools is a "compromise" on privacy as some data from a user's message would need to be processed on external servers but Meta insists that the system is built so that no third party would be able to see the contents of a message.

The tech firm said: "No one except you and the people you're talking to can access or share your personal messages, not even Meta or WhatsApp."

However, Adrianus Warmenhoven - a cyber security adviser at NordVPN - argues otherwise.

He said: "It's still a compromise. Any time data leaves your device - no matter how securely - it introduces new risks.

"WhatsApp has clearly worked to reduce those risks, but it's a balancing act between user demand for smart features and the foundational promise of end-to-end encryption."