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- Meta to Ban Third-Party AI Chatbots on WhatsApp Next Year 👀
Meta to Ban Third-Party AI Chatbots on WhatsApp Next Year 👀
How to use the hidden AI image expander on your Google Pixel
Gina Acosta
October 20, 2025
Welcome to another edition of Horizon AI,
WhatsApp users who enjoy using AI assistants like ChatGPT or Perplexity on the app may be in for some bad news, as upcoming changes aim to restrict their use on the popular messaging platform.
Let’s jump into it!
Read Time: 4.5 min
Here's what's new today in the Horizon AI
Meta Bans Third-party AI Chatbots on WhatsApp
Meta Adds New Parental Controls to Manage Teens’ AI Interactions on Instagram
AI Tutorial: How to use the hidden AI image expander on your Google Pixel
AI Tools to check out
AI Findings/Resources
The Latest in AI and Tech 💡
AI News
META
Meta Bans Third-party AI Chatbots on WhatsApp
WhatsApp updated its business API policy to block general-purpose AI assistants from operating on the platform.
Details:
The company has added a new section addressing “AI providers” in its Business API terms, barring them from using the WhatsApp Business Solution to distribute AI technologies “when such technologies are the primary functionality being made available for use.”
WhatsApp says the Business API is intended “to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates,” not to be used as a channel to host or distribute general-purpose chatbots.
It further justified the decision by explaining that recent chatbot use cases have placed a heavy burden on its systems, creating excessive message loads and support demands.
The change will take effect on January 15, 2026, and will leave Meta AI as the only assistant available on the chat app.
Meta clarified, however, that this move won’t affect businesses using AI for customer service on WhatsApp. For example, a travel company running a chatbot to assist customers will not be barred from the service; the change would only impact companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, or Poe.
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META
Meta Adds New Parental Controls to Manage Teens’ AI Interactions on Instagram
Meta is rolling out new controls for parents to help manage how teens use and interact with AI on Instagram.
Details:
Parents will have the ability to block one-on-one chats with AI characters or block specific AI characters if they don’t want to turn off access to all AI characters altogether.
Meta’s AI assistant will be an exception, as the company says it will “remain available to offer helpful information and educational opportunities,” with “age-appropriate protections in place.”
Parents will also receive high-level summaries of topics their teens discuss with AI, designed to help spark “thoughtful conversations with their teens about AI interactions.”
The new tools are scheduled to roll out early next year and will debut exclusively on Instagram for English-speaking users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, with plans to expand later.
This marks one of Meta’s first major safety updates for its AI bots across apps and follows new teen content limits on Instagram modeled after PG-13 standards.
The move follows growing scrutiny over chatbots’ impact on minors and seems to be just the beginning, as Meta also promises it will 'have more to share soon.'
AI Tutorial
How to use the hidden AI image expander on your Google Pixel
One of the biggest benefits of owning a Google Pixel smartphone is its access to a range of AI-powered features.
While most users know about tools like Magic Editor, which removes unwanted objects, and Unblur, which sharpens blurry photos, there’s also an AI image expander built into Google Photos that often goes under the radar.
It lets you extend your pictures beyond their original frame naturally, allowing you to widen or reframe shots without needing any third-party apps.
Open the Google Photos app on your Pixel.
Select the photo you want to edit and tap Edit.
Choose Actions from the bottom menu.
Tap the Ruler icon in the upper-left corner.
Select Auto Frame.
Wait for the AI to generate a few variations of the image.
Swipe through the previews to pick the one you like best.
Tap the checkmark to confirm.
Save the result as a copy or replace the original.
To expand a portrait image into a landscape, you might need to generate the results twice by tapping the refresh button once the first set of options appears.
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AI Findings/Resources
⭐ How ByteDance made China’s most popular AI chatbot
🚀 AI-generated WWE videos featuring historical figures are going viral
☠️ What is AI poisoning? A computer scientist explains
The latest in AI and Tech
Wikipedia’s data shows an 8 percent drop in page views year over year, which the Wikimedia Foundation links to search engines increasingly using generative AI to provide answers directly to searchers, rather than linking to sites, and to younger users turning to social video platforms for information.
Meta is introducing an opt-in feature that scans users’ camera rolls to find and edit “hidden gems” among unposted photos. The tool uploads images to Meta’s cloud to suggest collages and improvements.
Meta says it won’t use those photos to train its AI unless users edit or share them with its AI tools. The feature is rolling out to Facebook users in the US and Canada.
The new service lets businesses build generative AI models trained on their own branding and IP.
Built on Adobe’s Firefly models, the foundry helps companies create AI that can generate text, images, videos, and 3D scenes tailored to their brand. Pricing is usage-based.
This comes just three months after the startup raised a $210 million round at a $3.5 billion valuation.
The AI tool, trained on top medical journals, helps verified healthcare professionals find accurate medical information fast. It now handles 15 million clinical consultations per month and counts Google Ventures and Sequoia among its investors.
The startup has stopped Sora from generating videos of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after his estate called the deepfakes “disrespectful.”
The company says it plans to strengthen guardrails for historical figures, though users can still make clips of other high-profile individuals.
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Gina 👩🏻💻