ChatGPT and Perplexity AI are now available on WhatsApp; add their numbers to start chatting like any other contact. Perplexity’s CEO has signalled plans to monetise user data, raising clear privacy concerns. AI is now embedded in your messaging habits — convenient, but potentially costly in terms of control.
AI Assistants Are Now Just a Message Away — But Not All Come Without Strings Attached
How to Chat with ChatGPT or Perplexity on WhatsApp
To talk to ChatGPT, add +1 (800) 242-8478 to your WhatsApp contacts. To use Perplexity AI, add +1 (833) 436-3285.
So What Can They Actually Do?
✅ ChatGPT
Powered by OpenAI (most likely GPT-4-turbo depending on the provider setup), Offers intelligent conversation, summarisation, translation, code help, and more, Integrates image generation where supported, Responses are typically fast, contextual, and conversational
✅ Perplexity AI
Designed around answering questions with cited sources, Can generate images based on prompts and photos you upload, Leans into search-style responses, useful for research, fact-checking, and recommendations, Their team has teased more features coming soon, including multi-modal capabilities
Why It’s a Big Deal
Mainstream meets machine learning: WhatsApp is one of the most widely used apps across Southeast Asia and the world. Embedding AI here is a huge leap in accessibility and adoption.
Interface convergence: We no longer need separate apps for search, chat, and image generation. This is AI collapsing use cases into a single, everyday environment.
Habit formation: Messaging-style AI makes it feel natural to ask for help, brainstorm ideas, or even delegate thinking. It turns AI into a co-pilot—one emoji tap away.
Privacy Watch: Perplexity’s Data Dilemma
Trade-Offs: Utility vs. Transparency
Feature,ChatGPT on WhatsApp,Perplexity on WhatsApp,Meta AI in WhatsApp,Native chat interface,✅ Yes,✅ Yes,❌ (icon only, not a chat),Image generation,✅ Yes (if supported),✅ Yes,✅ Yes,Cited sources,❌ No,✅ Yes,❌ No,Privacy red flags,Medium (OpenAI usage unclear),High (CEO admits sale intent),High (Meta default tracking)
Final Thoughts
Over to you!
When AI knows everything you’ve typed — are you still the one in control? For more on the ethical considerations of AI, you might be interested in our article on AI cognitive colonialism. The integration of AI into platforms like WhatsApp also brings to mind discussions around how AI agents will break passkeys and the broader implications for digital security. As AI becomes more pervasive, understanding its impact on privacy and control becomes crucial, especially given that many users are already asking how people really use AI in 2025. Furthermore, the debate around data privacy and AI is ongoing, with regulatory bodies and researchers constantly evaluating the risks. A recent report by the Future of Privacy Forum highlights the new challenges and opportunities presented by generative AI for privacy.
Latest Comments (3)
Ah, excellent. My mate in Marseille mentioned trying this, *très pratique* he said. But the privacy bit… that's a proper concern, innit?
Wah, this is interesting. I actually tried the ChatGPT one on WhatsApp just last week, curious lah. It was super quick, like talking to a friend who knows everything. But then I started thinking about all that data going back and forth. You wonder a bit about the “privacy trade-offs” part, like what exactly are they doing with our chats? Food for thought.
This is mega news for quick info, but the privacy bit has me thinking. With all our chats on WhatsApp, how exactly do they navigate the data protection laws, particularly with such sensitive personal conversations flowing through? Especially given the diverse regulations globally.
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