LONDON: Meta Platforms has unveiled a new artificial intelligence-powered business agent designed to help companies automate daily operations across its messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, as the technology giant accelerates its push into the rapidly expanding enterprise AI market.
The announcement was made during Meta’s Conversations conference in London, an event focused on business communication through WhatsApp. The new “agentic” AI tool is capable of performing a wide range of customer-facing tasks, including booking appointments, answering customer inquiries, qualifying sales leads and completing purchases.
According to Meta, the AI agent builds on the company’s existing business messaging infrastructure and is aimed at helping businesses streamline customer interactions while reducing the need for manual support. The system can be customized to reflect a company’s brand voice and communication style, allowing businesses to maintain a consistent customer experience.
A key feature of the new platform is its ability to recognize situations that require human intervention. In such cases, the AI can seamlessly escalate complex or sensitive issues to customer service representatives, creating a hybrid support model that combines automation with human oversight.
Meta said more than one million businesses are already using earlier chatbot solutions on WhatsApp and Messenger. The upgraded AI agent will be rolled out globally and will be available to businesses of all sizes, including those operating through Instagram.
The company plans to offer the service free of charge initially, although subscription-based premium features are expected to be introduced at a later stage as Meta explores monetization opportunities.
The launch comes as competition intensifies in the enterprise AI industry, where technology firms are racing to develop intelligent assistants capable of handling customer support, sales and operational workflows. Meta’s latest move positions the company alongside major AI players such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google in the battle for business customers.
Industry analysts view AI-powered business agents as one of the fastest-growing segments of the artificial intelligence market, with companies increasingly seeking automated solutions that improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance customer engagement across digital platforms.
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