Meta has announced the European roll out of artificial intelligence (AI) features on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.
It will take the form of an AI chatbot assistant that will respond to queries from users on Meta's messaging apps.
The Irish Data Protection Commission said it has been examining Meta AI over recent months with its fellow EU data watchdogs and that it will keep it under review as it rolls out to users over the coming weeks.
"However, in terms of WhatsApp, we still have some open questions that require answering and we continue to engage with WhatsApp on these," said Graham Doyle, Deputy Commissioner at the DPC.
A spokesperson for WhatsApp said Meta AI can only read messages that are shared with it, and that personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one outside of the chat, not even WhatsApp, can see them.
"We will continue to work collaboratively with regulators so that people in Europe have access to and are properly served by Meta's AI innovations that are already available to the rest of the world," WhatsApp said.
Last year, Meta said it was withholding the roll out of certain AI models in the EU over what it described as the "unpredictable nature" of the European regulatory environment.
It also paused plans to use personal data to train AI models after concerns were raised by the Irish DPC.
Starting this week, Meta AI will begin rolling out across 41 European countries, including those in the EU.
The company said it will start with an intelligent chat function as a "first step" in its ongoing efforts to bring its AI technology to Europe.
Meta AI launched in the US in 2023.
"It's taken longer than we would have liked to get our AI technology into the hands of people in Europe as we continue to navigate its complex regulatory system - but we’re glad we’re finally here," Meta said in a statement.
"Over the coming weeks, we’ll take the first step in making Meta AI’s chat function available in six European languages, with a view to find parity with the US and expand our offering over time," the company said.
