Meta Launches WhatsApp AI Tools to Redefine Business-Customer Connections

Meta has introduced new AI-powered tools for businesses on WhatsApp, changing how businesses communicate with customers.

Unveiled during the company’s Conversations business messaging event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, WhatsApp now features an AI tool that automatically answers customer questions. The tool generates responses to commonly asked questions to help customers quickly find answers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said any business should be able to deploy an AI agent to talk to customers and provide support on the app.

“Those AIs need to be aligned with your products and services,” Zuckerberg said. “Getting this right is going to be a huge unlock for businesses' ability to scale.”

Meta also announced that businesses on WhatsApp can also use integrated AI tools to create ads for other Meta social media apps for free. The ads can remind customers they left an item in their cart or offer a discount which becomes visible in their feeds on Facebook or Instagram.

“Up until now, businesses would typically message all customers who asked to receive updates on WhatsApp but now you can use Ads Manager to deliver messages to those customers who are most likely to be interested, with our AI system able to recommend them to the right subset of recipients,” Zuckerberg said. “This means businesses will see better ROI and people will see more relevant messages.”

Related:Meta Launches AI Assistant Across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp

Credit: Meta

At Conversations, Zuckerberg said the new AI-powered features will unlock more opportunities for businesses of all sizes using WhatsApp.

“Brazilian businesses are leading the way in how they’re using messaging to connect with customers and drive business forward,” Zuckerberg said. “AI is shaping the future of all of our apps and that includes WhatsApp.”

WhatsApp’s new AI features are being piloted with a small number of English-language businesses in India and Singapore before a wider rollout in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Colombia later this year.

There’s also a new feature that lets users call larger businesses with just a single tap. Users interacting with a business through text on WhatsApp can instead call them to receive help with their query faster.

Meta also announced the expansion of its business verification feature to WhatsApp. Businesses can apply for a Meta Verified badge which shows users they’re genuine.

Meta Verified businesses receive improved security protections for their account which can be used across multiple devices by employees.

WhatsApp already has Meta AI, a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, integrated into the app.

Related:Meta’s Chameleon AI Model Seamlessly Handles Text and Images

At Conversations, Zuckerberg announced Meta AI will expand to cover Portuguese and “a number of other languages” in July.

The chatbot is currently limited to generating responses in English.