Meta launches Business Agent for WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram

Meta on Wednesday introduced Meta Business Agent, an AI service that helps businesses handle customer messages, recommend products and schedule appointments across WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. The product was unveiled at a company event in London.

The agent can respond to inquiries, suggest items and book appointments. Businesses will be able to connect the agent to third-party platforms such as Shopify and Zendesk. Meta said the feature will be included in Meta One, the company’s subscription package for creators and businesses. Larger customers using the WhatsApp Business Platform will be billed on a consumption basis similar to Meta’s existing messaging pricing. Meta also plans to test subscriptions for its standalone Meta AI app and website.

Mark Zuckerberg, speaking in prepared remarks at the London event, said: “Now, a clothing shop in Birmingham or a bakery in São Paulo can offer the same always-on, highly-personalized experience as a major brand.” He said Meta is developing agents that will become more autonomous and could provide competitive intelligence and real-time performance insights for companies over time.

Meta first trialed an early version, then called Business AI, in select markets including India and Mexico last year.

Shares rose more than 4% on Wednesday after the announcement, while the stock has fallen nearly 4% so far this year. Investors continue to weigh the company’s planned capital spending: Meta outlined roughly $600 billion in planned investment overall, with about $350 billion expected over the next two years for AI and data-center expansion.

Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak wrote that sentiment had “troughed” amid questions about converting AI spending into shareholder returns but kept Meta as a top technology pick with a $775 price target. Nowak estimated that if fewer than one-third of Meta’s 3.5 billion daily users generate a single AI query per day, the business could add about $10 billion in annual revenue.

Meta reported first-quarter revenue of $56.3 billion, above Wall Street expectations, and forecast second-quarter revenue between $58 billion and $61 billion. Meta described the new agent as part of its effort to build a sizable AI-driven business alongside its advertising operations, which still account for the majority of current revenue.