Meta launches AI Business Agent on WhatsApp and Instagram

Meta has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered assistant for businesses, a significant expansion of its enterprise software offerings that aims to automate customer service, sales, and daily operations across its messaging platforms. The company announced the global rollout of the Meta Business Agent at its Conversations conference in London.

The new tool is designed to handle a range of customer-facing tasks automatically, including answering frequently asked questions, recommending products, booking appointments, qualifying sales leads, and closing transactions. When a query is too complex, the system can escalate the conversation to a human representative. The agent can be customized to match a company’s preferred tone and style.

Initially, the service will be free for businesses, but the company plans to introduce paid subscription options in the coming months. For larger enterprises, Meta will implement a token-based billing model, a common pricing structure for generative AI services.

The Business Agent is now available globally on WhatsApp and within Instagram Direct Messages, with testing also underway on Messenger and the Meta Business Suite. The company stated...