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WhatsApp launches totally private 'incognito' conversations with its AI chatbot
TL;DR
WhatsApp has launched a new 'incognito' mode for private chats with its AI chatbot, ensuring that neither users nor the company can access the conversations. This feature aims to provide a secure space for discussing sensitive topics.
Key points
- WhatsApp introduces private chats with AI chatbot in incognito mode
- Neither users nor WhatsApp can access chat histories in this mode
- Feature aims to protect sensitive conversations
- Concerns raised about accountability for the company
- WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which owns other social platforms
Mentioned in this story
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WhatsApp has introduced private chats with its AI chatbot which not even the tech company will be able to read in a new "incognito" mode.
It means neither the user nor the AI's responses will be monitored if the feature is activated, and past conversations will disappear from the chat for the user.
Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said he felt people wanted to have private conversations with AI on sensitive subjects including health, relationships and finances and didn't want them to be accessible.
But a cyber security expert has told the BBC this could lead to a lack of accountability for WhatsApp if things go wrong, as they would have no access to chat history.
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
When Meta AI was added to WhatsApp last year, it was criticised by some users angry at not being able to turn it off.
But in May 2025, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said Meta AI had reached a billion users across its apps.
"We've heard from a lot of people that they feel some discomfort about sharing [personal] information with the company, yet they want the answers," Cathcart said of the latest announcement.
Currently most AI companies do store some data from chatbot use, and outside of businesses who pay premiums for enterprise accounts, that data can also be used to train future models of the product.
Zuckerberg described it as the "first major AI product where there is no log of your conversations stored on servers".
The technology behind WhatsApp's incognito mode is not the same as the end-to-end encryption the platform uses to protect other messages, but it is "the equivalent," Cathcart added.
Prof Alan Woodward, a cyber security expert at Surrey University, said there was a low risk of compromising WhatsApp's existing security by introducing a second system.
However there are concerns about how incognito mode could hide AI malfunction or abuse.
A number of AI companies, including OpenAI and Google, have been the subject of wrongful death lawsuits.
Woodward said there was a risk of a lack of accountability for the AI's responses.
Q&A
What is WhatsApp's new incognito mode for AI chats?
WhatsApp's incognito mode allows users to have private conversations with its AI chatbot, where neither the user nor the company can access the chat history.
What are the implications of using WhatsApp's incognito mode?
The incognito mode raises concerns about accountability, as WhatsApp will not have access to chat histories if issues arise during conversations.
Who is the head of WhatsApp and what did he say about incognito chats?
Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, stated that users desire privacy for sensitive discussions with AI, such as health and finances.
Which company owns WhatsApp and what other platforms do they manage?
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.
